Pretending
by Bella Paige
Summary: How long can she go on pretending when he was always standing right there in front of her. This fic is rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nope I do not own the cast of Castle or any songs I use in this fic. If I did own the show Castle, there would be a lot more Caskett make-out sessions. More undercover assignments and defiantly more Jenny and Ryan, along with Javier and Lanie. Oh and I would also make Gates grow a heart, but just give it time and she'll come around.**

**A/N: So I am back. Closure is on the back burner for now while I work on my novel. Teelduo and I are also re-editing Limbo. Anyway I thought I would write a new Castle story, something more current to the show's timeline. I watched a youtube clip of Caskett with the song 'Pretending by Glee' and this idea hit me and I couldn't concentrate on my current novel until I get this idea out of my head.**

**Beta-d by Teelduo**

**Friday – 7th October 2011**

**Castle's Loft – 20:13pm – Rick's Office**

Rick was staring at the screen of his computer, watching the words 'You Should Be Writing' tumble across it. He had left the precinct a little over an hour ago, after making sure that Kate had also left. He knew otherwise she would be there till late.

_**Bullpen – 19:03pm**_

_Rick looked at his watch and sighed. They had closed the case hours ago and the boys had finished their paperwork and left twenty minutes ago. It was just Rick and Kate left in the bullpen. There were other cops and detectives still at the 12th but not in their area. _

_"Go home," she ordered, not shifting her gaze from her computer screen. She had finished her paperwork a little of twenty minutes ago; she was just staring at the computer screen, occasionally tapping a few keys to give off the impression of working. But really she was thinking about Rick, he filled her head too much these days. _

_"No," he told her. "I will leave when you leave." He added. _

_Kate tore her gaze from the computer screen and turned it on her partner. Bad move, one look into those stony blues and she was lost. She could see concern in his eyes, he was worried about her._

_"The case is closed and the rest of the paperwork can wait until tomorrow," he told her. "You need your rest," he added, compassionately._

_Kate was touched by the comment. Even though a part of her didn't like being told what to do, the other part thought it was sweet of him. Kate ran her hands over her face and threw brushing her fingers through her hair. She was tired. She hadn't been sleeping well since the shooting. It just replayed over and over again in her head and when she woke up, she found it hard to get back to sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, one of the events would play in her head. _

_"Fine, I'm leaving." She told him. "Happy?" she asked, her tone coming out annoyed but she didn't mean it to. She was just tired and he seemed to be in the line of fire. _

_Rick looked at her serious. "I just want to make sure you get enough rest," he told her, sounding a little hurt. "You look like you've had trouble sleeping," he added. _

_Kate felt horrible. He cared for her, which was evident. Was it that obvious that she had been having trouble sleeping? She thought the makeup covered the bags under her eyes. Kate fixed her gaze on Rick. She disliked it when he had that sad look on his face, like his puppy had just died. She disliked it even more when she was the cause of it, she didn't like making people sad. Without thinking Kate reached her hand across the table and placed it on top of the writer's. _

_"I am sorry," she apologized in a soft whisper, giving his hand a gentle squeeze._

_Rick dropped his gaze to her hand quickly before meeting her eyes again. He knew Kate wasn't big on showing affection in public; it was always the little gestures that let him know that she cares. And those little gestures gave him hope that one day she would let him in. He understood that at the moment she was still hurting and terrified, even though she masked it. _

_Kate realized what she was doing; she quickly pulled her hand away and turned her attention back to her computer. She began closing it down. _

_Silence filled the air. Rick wasn't sure what he should do. He just watched her. _

_Kate pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay." She told him, avoiding eye contact as she gathered her things and walked away._

_Rick watched her go._

The writer wasn't sure what was going through her head earlier but he liked the feeling of her hand on his. And he could look into those hypnotic eyes all night and the way she bites down on her bottom lip to suppress laughter. Rick couldn't get the beautiful detective out of his head. A few days ago when he had asked Kate if she remembered anything about the shooting, just the way she answered. 'Nope, it's blank'. He just didn't seem to buy it, she avoided eye contact with him and seemed too eager to get away from him.

What if she does remember and is just telling him that she doesn't because she doesn't want to face her feelings or reject him? What if she didn't feel the same?

Rick groaned and pushed all logical thought from his head.

**Kate's Apartment – 20:15pm**

Kate was now relaxed, soaking in her bath and letting the day's troubles wash away. It had nothing to do with the case they had just closed either, it had everything to do with a certain writer who she just couldn't get out of her head. Seeing him everyday didn't help either, even though now she couldn't imagine her days without him being there. He had imprinted himself into her life and into her heart. It was the little things, like how he bought her coffee or a bear claw. When he discussed the latest about Alexis and asked her for her advice. Everytime she closed her eyes, she flashed back to the shooting and Rick hovering above her.

_'Stay with me Kate. Don't leave me please. Stay with me, okay. Kate, I love you, I love you Kate.' _He confessed as she slowly bled out and everything went black. She had seen the honesty in his eyes, heard the sincerity and raw emotion in his voice. The brunette had known that the writer had feelings for her for the last year now but she wasn't sure how strong they were until she had been shot and he had confessed.

He was the reason that she had pulled through. It was that plea and those words that kept her holding on. She loved him and didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

Kate let out a deep sigh and re-opened her eyes. Candles and a long bath usually relaxed her but all she could think about was Rick. Hot tears began stinging her eyes, she refused to show emotion in public. She had slipped a few times in front of Rick, but he was always sweet about it.

_"Face to face and heart to heart, we're so close yet so far apart. I close my eyes, I look away. That's just because I'm not okay. But I hold on, I stay strong, wondering if we still belong?"_ The duet sang as soft music played.

Kate turned her head towards her portable CD player; she was listening to the radio. The female detective strongly disliked the quiet. She didn't like to think because her mind would just flash back to painful memories. Music seemed to help, it usually was a good distraction.

_"Will we ever say the words we're feeling? Reach down underneath and tear down all the walls? Will we ever have a happy ending? Or will we forever only be pretending? Will we a-a-a-always a-a-a-always a-a-a-always be pretending?" _

The words sunk in deep. Kate closed her eyes again and was hit with a past memory.

_"How do you know when you're in love?" He asked her. _

_Kate was a little startled by his question but could see that something was troubling him. A smile curved her lips as she looked at him. "When all the songs make sense," she answered._

_He seemed satisfied with the answer._

She reopened her eyes and let a few tears fall freely down her cheeks. She was the one pretending that she didn't love him. He had told her that he loves her. She was pretending that she didn't remember hearing it. She could see the pain in his eyes everytime she said she didn't remember.

A part of her wanted to tell him that she heard him, but the fear that whoever is after her will go after him and Alexis if she made them apart of her life. She couldn't risk Rick, Alexis or Martha like that. She loves him too much for anything to happen to his family.

The brunette let more tears fall freely.

_"How long do I fantasize, make believe that it's still alive. Imagine that I am good enough, and we can choose the ones we love. But I hold on, I stay strong, wondering if we still belong."_

**Castle Loft – 20:17pm – Rick's Office**

Rick had the radio going. He was trying to distract himself from thoughts of Kate, even though the song that was currently playing didn't help. The words in the song were hitting too close to home. It was like it was written for them.

_"Will we ever say the words we're feeling? Reach down underneath and tear down all the walls. Will we ever have a happy ending or will we forever only be pretending. Will we a-a-a-always a-a-a-always a-a-a-always be?"_ The duet belted out.

Rick had always found words powerful, that was one of the reasons he became a writer. He ran his fingers through his thick hair and turned his eyes onto a photo he kept on his desk of Kate. She didn't know he had it. He had snapped the photo with his phone one night at the old haunt, months ago when she wasn't looking. Her eyes were filled with laughter and the biggest smile was on her lips.

_"Keeping secrets safe, every move we make seems like no one's letting go. And it's such a shame cause if you feel the same, how am I supposed to know?"_

Rick turned his attention from the photograph and looked at his phone on his desk, picking it up he scrolled through the contacts and stopped at her name.

_"Will we ever say the words we're feeling? Reach down underneath and tear down all the walls. Will we ever have a happy ending? Or will we forever only be pretending? Will we a-a-a-always a-a-a-always a-a-a-always be pretending? Will we a-a-a-always a-a-a-always a-a-a-always be pretending? Will we a-a-a-always a-a-a-always a-a-a-always be pretending?"_ the music began to slowly fade away.

Rick had his finger hovering over her number. All he had to do was press one simple button. Then what? Was he going to have a random conversation with her? He groaned in frustration, getting out of his contacts and tossing his phone on the desk.

He just couldn't get Kate out of his head. Usually he could channel what he felt for her and pour it into his writing, but tonight that wasn't an option. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw her face. Heard her laughter or felt her touch on his hand or lips on his. That kiss was several months ago and he still remembered every little detail of it. Still remembered how her lips felt against his and he could still hear the moan that escaped her lips.

This woman was driving him insane.

**Kate's Apartment – 20:44pm – Lounge Area**

The Brunette had changed into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt and she was wearing a sports bra underneath. She had the kitchen light on and the TV going. The room was filled with a warm glow from the television. Kate was sitting on her couch, hugging a cushion as she watched the late night movie that was playing. She was tired, but she didn't have the energy to drag herself to her bedroom. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Rick had hit the nail on the head.

Kate wasn't really focused on the movie in front of her. Her mind was elsewhere.

Hearing a Beep from her phone pulled her focus back to the present. She turned her gaze to the coffee table and looked at her phone sitting on it. Kate let out a sigh and reached for her cell. Her eyes dropped to the small screen and Rick's name appeared. Why was he texting her? They didn't have a case, even though that hadn't stopped them in the past. They often talked outside of work. The few months she was recovering was the longest they hadn't talked in over a year, and that was her fault.

Kate sighed once again and opened the message. **'Have you eaten yet?'** it read.

She couldn't help but smile. He was always thinking about her well-being. When they first met, that annoyed the hell out of her, but now she found it sweet. At the thought of food her stomach grumbled. Kate had forgotten to eat earlier when she arrived home. She had headed straight in the direction of her bathroom, just wanted to soak away the day.

**'Yes,'** Kate texted back, biting down on her bottom lip because it was a lie. Her heart always ached when she lied to him.

A minute later there was a knock on her door. Kate's eyes shot in the direction of it. A jolt of fear washed over her. Ever since the shooting she had been a little on edge, even though she had her gun with her at all times. The thought of someone still out there wanting her dead, scared the hell out of the detective.

Kate stood up and was about to retreat to her room to grab her weapon when she heard a familiar voice call through the door.

"Kate, it's me." Rick called out.

Kate's racing heart began to slow down a little as she walked towards the door. Her mind began running wild with thoughts of why he would be at her door. Kate stopped in front of it; she reached for the door handle and gripped it tightly. Her heart began racing again as she turned the handle and opened the door.

Rick was patiently waiting outside of his partner's apartment. He had an Eco Friendly Carry Bag in his hands, filled with warm food. Leftovers from dinner since he hadn't been hungry earlier and Alexis always cooked too much.

Kate looked at her partner; he was standing a metre from her with a carry bag. She took a whiff and smelt something good inside of it. "Rick? What are you doing here?" she asked, curious. Her stomach grumbled and she averted her eyes from the writer, dropping them to the ground. Busted!

"Liar," he greeted her with a smile as he walked passed her and entered her apartment.

Kate stood in her spot for a moment, a little stunned. Once again he had just invited himself in to her place without asking. She closed the door, locking it before walking over towards the couch to where Rick was now sitting. He had placed the carry bag on her glass coffee table and was now pulling out the contents of the bag. She noticed two plastic containers and a bottle of wine.

Rick pulled off the lid on each container. The first one containing chicken pasta and the second one was a salad. The bottle of wine was sitting in the middle of them, he had thought long about the wine. At first he was just going to bring a soft drink but wine went better with pasta and Kate looked like she could use a glass. He knew they were on call tomorrow, but he only planned to have one glass with diner and didn't see Kate drinking anymore than that.

Kate stopped a few metres from the coffee table and looked down at his little setup, she was surprised he didn't bring the plates and glasses, along with candles.

"Uh Castle?" she questioned.

Rick turned his attention from his little set up in front of him and turned towards the sound of that beautiful voice. "Mmm," he replied. He could see the confession all over her face and knew she was most likely going to put up an argument about him intruding into her life.

"Um, what's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the food and wine.

Rick stood up and took a few steps towards her, locking his gaze on hers. "I thought you might be hungry," he answered casually. "I know when you're tired, sometime you forget to eat." His replied, seriously. Rick locked his blue orbs on her hazel-greens. He was worried about her.

Kate could see he was being sincere. She was still surprised that he somehow sensed that she hadn't eaten yet. She was amazed how most of the time he could tell how she was feeling. Her stomach rumbled again and Kate gave in, she was hungry and this would save her from ordering something.

"Thank-you," she responded, still holding his gaze. She had to admit that this was very sweet of him.

"Always," he smiled back at her.

Kate bit down on her lip again. That one word, whenever he used it. It made her feel wanted, like she was worth something. Her heart melted at the sight of his smile, it made her speechless.

"I'll get us some plates," she told him, breaking their eye contact and heading in the direction of the kitchen.

Rick grinned. "I'll grab the glasses," he called after her, following her out of the room. She hadn't kicked him out. Rick was pleased with himself.

**21:44pm**

Rick and Kate were seated on the couch. They had finished dinner and their first glass of wine. At first they had started off at opposite ends of the couch, a bit of distance between the two of them. They were both watching the movie that was playing which turned out to be Beverly Hill Cop 2. Kate discovered that it was one of Rick's favourites, since he was quoting most of the movie. She had to admit that she loved the series, herself.

As time progressed and after they had finished dinner and Rick had cleared the plates, when he returned and refilled both their glasses. He turned off the kitchen light and returned to the couch, sitting a little closer to her then before. The only light in the room came from the television, giving the room a warm glow.

"Yo man, we gotta talk, seriously." Axel's voice filled the room. "Who do you think you are, Clint Eastwood? Dirty Rosewood?"

Kate let a chuckle escape her lips. The brunette couldn't help but laugh. She loved Billy and tonight they were playing all three Beverly Hill Cop Movies.

Rick turned his attention on her. He couldn't help but smile. God she was beautiful, even in sleepwear she looked like a model. She was holding her second glass of wine and her legs were curled under her. She had only taken a few sips of the second drink. His own glass was sitting on the coffee table. Rick was comfortable just sitting on Kate's couch and watching her, watch the movie. He found her intriguing. Rick hadn't planned on staying here for an hour but he didn't want to leave either.

Kate let out another loud chuckle. Rick couldn't help but laugh with her. He hadn't seen her, this happy in a long time. It looked good on her and he loved the sound of her laughter.

"You should do that more," he told her, the words leaving his mouth without him realizing.

Kate turned her gaze on the writer, realizing how close they were actually sitting. Only a few inches between them, when had this happened. They were close enough to almost bump shoulders, yet she didn't mind.

"What?" she asked, relaxed. She felt really relaxed and happy.

He was smiling again, god that smile drove her crazy.

"Laugh, it looks good on you." Rick told her, genuinely.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing the smile that was dying to grace her lips. Her eyes were fixed on his; it was like he was staring into her soul. A long minute passed before she responded.

"If I had his badge," Kate replied.

Rick turned his gaze back to the television. "I wish I had a badge," he mumbled.

Kate still had her eyes on him; he was so cute when he pouted. "Join the force," she told him, bluntly. The brunette turned her attention back to the television.

Rick turned his gaze back on his beautiful partner; she was trying to hide a grin that was tugging at the corner of her lips.

**8th October, Saturday**

**Couch - 07:11am**

Kate had never felt so comfortable in her entire life. She felt safe and secure and the blanket was wrapped around her tightly. The blanket actually felt more like arms, strong arms and her bed was moving and sounded a lot like a heart beating, softly.

The sleepy brunette slowly began opening her eyes, letting them adjust to the light shining through the room. Why wasn't her curtain blocking the sun? As Kate's eyes finally adjusted to the light she realized that she wasn't in her room but in the lounge room. She was staring at her couch, and felt someone moving under her.

Events from last night began hitting her. Rick had come over with dinner, they had eaten and watched Beverly Hill Cop 2 while drinking wine. Rick had quoted most of the movie, except the parts where Axel swore. Which Kate respected. Then Beverly Hills Cop 3 started; by that time they were sitting pretty close to one another, which didn't seem to bother either of them.

She remembered around halfway through the movie she felt tired and rested her head on Rick's shoulder. He had draped his arm over her and she snuggled close into his arms. She had a blanket sitting on the end of the couch which he had draped over the both of them; they were cuddling closer at that point and she could hear his heartbeat.

Falling asleep was her last memory of the night.

Kate could feel that his breathing was even, so he was still asleep. She actually felt really comfortable and safe. She hadn't woken up once that night. It was the best sleep she had had in months, maybe even years. Her body was moulded against his, the only barrier between them, was clothing. Their legs were intertwined and he was holding her close, his arms circled around her waist.

The brunette bit down on her bottom lip. She had fallen asleep in Rick's arms and they were cuddling. The scary thing was that she actually enjoyed it and didn't want to move. She wanted to hold onto this little moment for as long as she could.

Kate was warm in-between the blanket and Rick. She was on call this weekend, but that didn't mean she had to move right now, she would just get in a few more minutes before she had to get up.

**08:11am**

"Dadadadadadaddadadad," Rick's phone screeched on the coffee table.

Rick's eyes shot open at the sound of his daughter's high pitched plea. "Alexis!" he called as he tried sitting up, only to find that he wasn't in his bed or alone.

"Five more minutes," Kate mumbled, snuggling closer to her body pillow.

Dadadadadadaddadadad," the phone screeched. Rick detached himself from the beautiful detective and reached over her, grabbing his phone

"Hey pumpkin," he whispered.

His daughter's voice flowed over the phone, a little panicked.

"Dad where are you?" she asked concerned. "It's eight o'clock and why are you whispering" she demanded.

"I don't want to wake Kate," he whispered without even thinking. He then clamped his eyes shut when he realized what he had just said.

"Kate, as in Detective Beckett?" his daughter questioned. "You're at Kate's. Are you two..." she began to ask, not able to finish that thought.

Rick couldn't believe he had a slip of the tongue. He had always been honest with his daughter and didn't plan on lying now.

"I brought her dinner over and we crashed on the couch, fell asleep watching Beverly Hills Cop 2 and 3." He told her, honestly.

Silence filled the air for a minute. He then heard his daughter sigh.

"Okay, I was just worried when I went to check on you this morning. You seemed a little distracted last night when you got home," she confessed to him.

Rick smiled. He loved that girl. "I am fine pumpkin. I'll see you in a bit," he promised. "I love you," he added.

"Too the moon and back," Alexis replied before hanging up.

Rick closed his phone and turned his attention back to his sleeping partner. She looked so at peace, a few strands of hair had fallen across her eyes, so he carefully moved them.

Kate had woken up during that phone call. She just didn't want Rick to know that she was awake yet. She didn't want things to become awarkward. That was when she felt his fingers touch her face and brush her hair from her eyes. She was finding it hard to keep pretending to be asleep, her heart picked up a few beats.

She could feel him staring at her, and she couldn't pretend anymore. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times before her focus settled on the writer. He was watching her, intently.

"Morning," he greeted, looking a little nervous.

She was still a little stunned that he was this close to her, she was lost for words. When she didn't say anything, he spoke up.

"I am so sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to fall asleep on the couch, I swear I didn't plan ..." He began rambling, nervously.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, holding back the grin. She removed her arm from around his waist and placed her finger to his lips to shut him up. "Rick! It's okay," she told him.

She held her finger tightly to his lips so she could speak without interruption. "We just fell asleep watching some movies. No harm done," she told him, removing her finger from his lips.

Rick was astounded. Kate Beckett had just told him that it was okay that they fell asleep in one another's arms. He would love that to happen every night for the rest of their lives. He couldn't help but stare into those hypnotic eyes, their faces were only inches apart. And as much as he was dying to kiss her, he didn't want to ruin the magic of last night with a stupid move like that.

"How about some coffee?" He asked her. Not wanting to leave the closeness of their bodies but knew that she would be craving caffeine.

Kate didn't expect that being the first question to leave his mouth, but at the same time she was kinda relieved that he wasn't gloating. She had noticed over the last year, how much he had matured. Whenever they had a little moment, it was their's and he didn't brag about it to the boys.

"Coffee would be great," she smiled.

Neither moved from this close embrace as a long minute passed.

"Um Kate? As much as I love being this close to you, you're kinda trapping me in," he told her.

Kate's faced all of a sudden felt very hot. She felt the blood rising to her face and turned her head away so he couldn't see her blush. She regrettably detached herself from him and hopped off the couch, a sharp pain shoot through her as she closed her eyes, a gasp escaped her lip.

Rick heard the gasp as he sat up, his eyes fell on the detective and noticed her hand over her wound. "You okay?" he asked worried.

Kate opened her eyes to find his locked on her, filled with worry. "I'm fine," she assured him, giving a weak smile. It was that damn wound of hers, a reminder everytime she looked in the mirror that somebody wanted her dead.

Rick wasn't sure if she was telling him the truth, it pained him to see her in any sort of pain or discomfort. He would have taken that bullet for her. He would have died for her, even though that meant he wouldn't see her or Alexis ever again. He knew Alexis would be fine since he was leaving her to Kate. Two years ago he had changed that in his will after he had asked her that day at the precinct when he thought he was cursed. He had asked her if she would look after Alexis, when she agreed, he saw his lawyer and made it official.

"I promise you, I'm fine Rick." She assured him, placing her hand on his cheek and giving him a heartfelt smile. "You cannot get rid of me that easy," she joked.

He didn't laugh. His face remained still. "I watched you slowly slip away before my eyes and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it," he softly whispered, raw emotion evident in voice.

Kate's hand was still resting on his cheek as she felt a tear slip from his eyes and slid down his face, falling over her fingers. She had only seen him in this much pain once before, at Roy's funeral when he admitted how he felt. Kate could feel the emotions building up inside her and feel her heart aching, because she was causing the man she loves great pain.

"Rick," she whispered, taking a step closer. The two now only centremetre's apart, she could feel tears on the verge of spilling over. She moved her hand from his face and reached for his, bringing it up to her chest and placing it over her heart.

"Do you feel that?" She asked him, softly.

Rick was stunned at first that Kate and grabbed his hand and placed it to her chest. He felt her heart beating a mile a minute, it was strong.

He just nodded, he was lost for words.

"It's proof that I'm alive," she told him. "I am standing right here in front of you," she pushed on.

"I won't leave you," she promised.

She looked so vulnerable and human. He could see that she was trying. He removed his hand from her chest and enclosed the distance between them, pulling her into a hug. At first he felt her hesitate, but a few seconds later she softened and melted into his embrace.

Kate's head resting on his shoulder, and a few tears slipping from her eyes.

_**I decide to leave the first chapter here because if I continued writing this scene, I don't think I would have been able to stop. Like all of my novels and Fiction, this will be case related but also have a lot of Caskett and the rest of the team in it.**_

_**Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: Nope. I do not own Castle. How Friggin Awesome would that be! I am happy to just settle with Ryan.**_

_**A/N: I am blown away by all of the story alerts, favourite and author alerts. Thank-you for all the review's on twitter, ff, facebook and email. You readers are amazing and reason I am writing this.**_

_**Beta-d by Teedluo**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER TWO<strong>_

**Queensbridge Park**** - 10:01am - Crime Scene**

The weather was crisp, a cool wind blew through. New York was beautiful in the Fall, the leaves on the trees were changing colour so there was a wonderful array of reds, gold's and some greens surrounding the park. Leaves had begun to fall and cover the ground. Kate remembered playing _'Crunch the leaves'_ when she was younger; her mother would play with her. A sad smile touched her lips at the memory.

The crime scene was taped off and uniforms surrounded the park. There were onlookers behind the yellow tape trying to catch a peek at the body; Kate let out a disgusted grunt. _What the hell was so fascinating about a dead body? Did they ever stop to think about the family behind the crime scene?_

"I remember when Alexis was little we used to have competitions to see who could crunch the most leaves," Rick told her, smiling.

Kate turned her attention to her partner. She loved the look of innocence on his face when he talked about his daughter. "She whipped your butt, didn't she?" the brunette teased, grinning.

Rick walked a little ahead as they were coming up to the crime scene tape. Her eyes looked him up and down. He had changed into a dark blue buttoned up shirt that made his blue orbs pop. He was wearing a black sports coat and jeans. The black jeans fit him nicely, cupping his butt. She couldn't help but notice.

She bit down on her bottom lip as she remembered back to this morning.

_**Earlier today - Kate's Apartment - 08:30am – Kitchen**_

_Kate was stirring the pancake batter in the bowl as she watched her favourite writer trot around her kitchen. He was making the coffees; she told him she would make the pancakes. After ten minutes of debating about it, he finally caved. She was still grinning because she had won the argument. _

_Rick lifted both mugs and turned around, his eyes catching hers and a smile stole his lips._

_Kate turned away quickly. She knew he had busted her looking at him. Music softly filled her apartment._

_Rick walked over towards the beautiful brunette who was stirring the pancake batter with great concentration. He placed her mug on the counter top in front of her. He was standing right behind her and he could feel the heat rising off her body. _

"_Your Coffee," he whispered in her ear, quickly taking a step back with his coffee still in hand as she jumped._

"_Rick!" she hissed. Luckily she hadn't dropped the bowl. She lifted her gaze and met his, glaring at him._

_He looked at her innocently. "What?" a smirk tugging at his lips._

_Kate found it hard to stay mad at the writer when he gave her that innocent puppy look, those blue eyes. She could get lost in those eyes and he knew the effect they had over her. She didn't expect to have Richard Castle in her loft at eight in the morning but she didn't expect him to come over last night either._

_And this morning, if he knew how much that moment meant to her. He didn't try to make a move. He was just there for her and that is what she loves about him. He is always right there when she needs him most. Before he started shadowing her, the homicide detective didn't believe in fate or magic. He was the one who showed her that it was out there and very real. You just have to be willing to open your eyes and see what is right in front of you. _

_He was her guardian Angel. _

"_Kate?" Rick asked, taking the bowl from her hands. She had zoned out and looked like she was going to tip it out. _

_Kate felt the bowl being removed from her hands. She turned her eyes on the writer. He placed the bowl on the bench before fixing his gaze back on her._

"_You okay?" he asked, apprehensively_. _He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze._

_She could feel herself weakening at his touch. He always did this too her. She usually was better guarded but lately her emotion's had been getting the best of her._

_She nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. His stony blue eyes were locked on her and she could feel him staring into her soul. Their faces were only inches apart. She dropped her eyes to his lips before returning to his eyes. _

_A long minute passed, neither said a word. _

_The song from last night played in Kate's head again. She tore her gaze from his and snatched up the bowl, turning from him and walking towards the stove._

Rick lifted the crime scene tape, turning his stony blues on the beautiful brunette walking towards him. Kate quickly turned away, heat creeping to her cheeks as she walked towards him.

Kate left her hair down, a natural wave to it. She had changed into a pair of black hipster bootleg jeans that outlined her curves. She was wearing a deep red v-neck cotton sweater underneath the deep blue pea coat that she had left un-buttoned. He noticed that her footwear wasn't as inappropriate as it usually was a few months ago. She was wearing heel boots but these had a decent heel on them and still gave her that height.

She flashed him a sweet smile as she ducked under the tape. He followed her and the two began making their way across the grass towards the tree's where the medical examiner was squatting over the body.

Kate felt a hand press against the small of her back, knowing automatically that is was Rick. He was standing right beside her; usually she would roll her eyes at him or make some comment. But this morning she welcomed his touch.

As they approached the body and Lanie stood up. Both partner's eyes flew to the body and their eyes widened, a gasp escaping Kate's lips as Rick froze in his spot. Kate automatically reached for the writer's hand.

"Let me take you home," she tells him.

She turned him away from the body. She could feel his hands trembling in her own. Kate laced her fingers with his to try and calm him, his gaze shifted from the lifeless body to her eyes.

"Alexis is not home. She and Mother went to Stanford. Mother is visiting a friend and she went to see Ashley, this morning." He mumbled. "They're gone all weekend."

Kate didn't want to send him home to an empty loft. Her fingers were interlaced with his, she gave them a gentle squeeze and he squeezed back. His eyes were filled with horror and sadness. "Don't make me leave," he pleaded.

Kate was torn; she knew this case would be hard on him.

She turned her gaze back to the victim and sadness washed over her. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and brown sweater. Her long dark strawberry blonde hair surrounded her like a halo and her crystal blue eyes were staring back, filled with fear. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises.

"C.O.D?" she managed to ask.

Lanie looked at her friend and the writer standing beside her. Her gaze dropped to their hands. The dark skinned woman used all the strength she had inside of her to not jump up and down at the crime scene. She raised her gaze to the detective whose eyes were glued to the victim along with the writers.

"She looks to have both legs broken, a few cracked ribs, both arms are broken, a snapped neck and best guest, internal bleeding." Lanie rattled off.

Kate gasped in shock. "Poor thing didn't have a chance," she whispered, feeling her eyes sting. Rick squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was there for her.

"She was hit by a vehicle," Rick supplied. He knew the injuries from a novel he wrote years ago.

Lanie nodded in agreement. "There is no sign of sexual abuse. But the body is cold," she explained.

Kate looked at her best-friend unsure. "It's been here for a while then?" she questioned.

Javier walked over towards his boss and her partner.

"Nope, an hour tops." Javier informed them. "A witness says she was jogging past at six this morning and the girl wasn't there. She was bringing her ten-year-old son back to play on the field-" he gestured to the small baseball field over his shoulder. "With some friends this morning when she came across the vic," the Hispanic detective told them.

Kate turned her eyes towards the distressed mother in her early thirties; she was talking to Detective Ryan. He was trying to calm her.

"Do we know the T.O.D?" she asked her friend, turning back to face her.

Lanie removed her gloves. "I cannot give you an accurate one until I get her back and take a better look, best guest. You're looking at a 24 hour timeline," she delivers.

Kate ran her free hand through her hair and took a deep breath in, holding it a moment before releasing it.

"What about a name?" Rick spoke up. His eyes locked on the dark skinned woman. He couldn't look back at the lifeless teenager when she reminded him so much of his own.

"She had no ID on her," Lanie spoke up. "I am guessing she is between 15-17."

Rick and Kate both turned and looked at Javier.

"We haven't found any ID either, uniforms are canvassing the area as we speak." He told them.

Kate doesn't realize that her fingers are still laced with Rick until she notices the look Javier is giving them. The brunette dropped her gaze to their hands, lifting her eyes she glares at the male detective. Kate unlaces her fingers from his, lifting her eyes to meet his.

Rick looks at her hurt but he understands that she has a job to do.

Kate turns her attention back to the teenager on the ground. She is letting all the information she had just received, process.

"So you are telling me that a teenager gets run down between the hours of six am and nine am, and nobody sees a damn thing!" the female detective vents.

All eyes fall on the female detective.

"She wasn't killed here, the body has been moved." Lanie told her.

Kate placed her hands on her hips and dropped her head. Rick placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. The brunette lifted her head and met his eyes, no words are spoken.

Javier and Lanie watch the two, both curious to what is going on.

Kevin walks over towards the group, notepad in hand. He stops beside his partner. "The witness says she didn't see anyone in the area during her jog or when she brought the boys to play ball," he delivers.

Kate turned her eyes on the blue-eyed detective and chewed at her bottom lip. She had her hands on her hips. She could still feel Rick's hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and wished she was back in her apartment asleep in his arms, her safe place.

_No Killers No dead teenagers, just Rick. _

Kate reopened her eyes after feeling another gentle squeeze from her partner. She fixed her eyes on the male detectives.

"We need to find out who she is," She told them. "Keep looking for her ID, we'll run her prints through the database." She added before she walked off, Rick following.

"Is it just me or ..." Kevin began.

"Something is going on with mom and dad," Javier finished in agreement.

The two partners stood beside one another watching their boss and her writer walk away.

"It's not sex," Lanie pipes up, her clipboard in hand. "But it's something," she adds.

Both male detectives turn their gazes on the dark skinned woman.

Javier walks over towards Lanie, giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later, chica." He informs her, seductively.

Lanie smiles as she writes something down on the clipboard.

* * *

><p><strong>10:20am<strong>

Lanie watches her boyfriend leave before turning her attention to the M.E van. She signals the two M.E drivers over to lift the body up. She watches as they gently place the body onto the gurney and began walking to the van.

"Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to the morgue we go. A dead body to put in the freeze, our detectives will bring the killer to their knees. Hi Ho, Hi Ho." The two young men sing.

Lanie's looks at them stunned, placing a hand on her hip.

"Respect!" she demands.

The two young men in their mid twenties loaded the body into the back of the van. One of the men turned around. "We said they bring the killer to their knees," he answered, sounding like a stoner.

She just shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

* * *

><p><strong>12th Precinct – 11:03am – Bullpen<strong>

Kate was standing in front of the murder board adding the information.

Rick re-entered the bullpen and headed towards his partner. He had been in the break room making a private call to a friend who owns a private security company. His friend was actually in town this weekend since the two had plans to catch up. Rick sent him to Stanford, placing his mother and daughter under security detail. This guy was extremely good, former marine good.

The writer had known Shane McGarrett since he was eighteen. He knew he could trust him with his family's lives.

"Checking up on Alexis?" Kate asked, not removing her attention from the murder board.

Rick stopped just in front of the board, standing beside her. He fixed his gaze on her.

"I don't want to worry them; I called a friend to keep an eye on them." Rick told her.

Kate stopped writing and turned her attention on the writer.

"Knowing you, you hired the best security detail money can buy," she spoke with a smile.

Rick shrugged his shoulders. "I'm allowed to be a little paranoid, they're my family." He simply stated.

"Hey," she began, taking a step forward leaving less than a metre between them. "You're allowed to be a lot paranoid when it comes to family," she told him, nudging his shoulder playfully.

* * *

><p><strong>11:33am<strong>

The two male detectives walked off the elevator and headed in the direction of their boss. Kevin was on his phone.

Kate and Rick were sitting on the edge of her desk, side by side, staring at the murder board. Their shoulders were touching.

Kevin and Javier stopped just off from their boss's desk, the partners stood side by side. The Irish detective closed his cell phone and fixed his gaze on his boss.

"The victim's name is Molly Copland, age 17. Lives in Glendale," Kevin tells them. "Parents are in Hawaii on their twentieth wedding anniversary according to their answering machine. They left the hotel number that they can be contacted at for emergencies," he explained handing Kate a small piece of paper.

Kate hopped off her desk and turned to face the two male detectives. She reached for the number and looks down at it.

"I'll call them," she told them.

Rick watched as the brunette detective headed in the direction of the break room, mainly for privacy. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation over the phone. He knew it was part of her job, but as parent himself. To have to hear that kind of news over the phone from a stranger, while you're on a wedding anniversary. Pure heartbreak, he would never wish that on anybody.

The writer watched as Kate paced back and forth with her phone to her ear. He knew the moment that someone picked up and greeted her because she stood in her spot and started talking. Even though he couldn't tell what she was thinking, he knew Kate and he knew it wouldn't be anything less than extraordinary.

"So what is going on with you and Beckett, anyways?" Kevin asked the writer.

Rick tore his attention from his partner and turned his stony blues on the younger detective.

"What?" he asked confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Javier and Kevin both gave him a 'Yeah Right' look.

"We're detective Castle," Javier stated. "We've noticed the little changes," he added.

Rick looked at both of them deadpanned.

"A seventeen-year-old girl was murdered. That girl is a striking resemblance to my daughter, she was just being a good partner and making sure I was okay." He told them, his tone icy. "So drop it."

Both Male detectives stood stunned in their spots. Rick never talked to them like that, this case must be affecting him more than they thought.

They were right; something had changed between him and Kate, Rick mused. But he wasn't going to tell them about it. If anything did happen, it would be theirs and not the world's.

Neither male detective spoke up.

* * *

><p><strong>11:40am<strong>

Kate returned to the group of men, something was off. The three of them were just standing there, not talking. Which was rare when those three got together, something was wrong.

"Molly was staying with a woman she baby-sits for. Her parents didn't want her home alone last night. She was supposed to be staying with a friend this weekend," she informed the men. "Call and confirm with the friend, find out what happened." She ordered them.

Javier took the number, the two walked back to their desks.

"Let's go see the employer," she told the writer.

He just nodded and followed her out of the bullpen, aware of the boys' eyes on them.

* * *

><p><strong>Glendale – Noon – Chamber's House<strong>

Rick and Kate stood opposite a door. Lauren Chambers lives in a family neighbourhood of Glendale.

"You okay?" the writer asked her.

The brunette turned her hazel-green's onto him. "Still Standing," she told him.

_She wasn't alright. This case sucked. She hated having to tell that girls parents over the phone, listening to their sobs and not be able to be face-to-face to comfort them. _

The door opened and standing opposite of them was a blonde woman in her late twenties, her hair pulled back into a messy bun and she was dressed in sweats. She was pretty. She had been crying.

"Can I help you," she whispered.

Kate took a deep breath, her face remained set. "Mrs Chambers?" she asked.

The woman nodded.

Kate revealed her badge. "Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD." She introduced herself. "This is my partner Richard Castle, I was wondering if we could talk to you about Molly Copland."

The woman stepped aside and let them in.

"Karen called me ... I can't believe ... I just saw her ..." She began quietly sobbing.

Kate was finding it hard not to hug the woman, her heart was breaking. Rick stood by her side, his face was set. She knew it was hard on him to watch a young mother cry and not being able to do much to comfort her.

"I am so sorry for you loss," Kate offered.

Can I make you a tea or coffee?" Rick offered.

Karen turned her eyes on the older male and shook her head. "No but thank-you," she gave him a sad smile.

Kate smiled at him before turning her attention back to the upset woman whose sobs were now becoming shallower.

"When was the last time you saw Molly?" she asked her, pulling out her phone.

The blonde woman turned her attention on the female detective. "A few minutes after seven this morning. She left right after breakfast," she sniffled.

Rick left his partner's side and began to wonder around the room, letting his eyes drink in the room around him. His eyes ran over everything in the room, from the little pink jackets draped over the back of the couch to the family photos on the wall. She was a single mother; there was no sign of the twin girls father. Rick didn't understand how a father could just walk away from his child and not look back.

As he heard Kate ask a few more questions, the writer wondered down the small hall of the house. Looking at the photos that ran along the wall, there was a lot of love in this house. He stopped when he came across a photo of Lauren, her twin daughters and Molly. Four sets of blue eyes smiled back.

"Who are you?" a small voice asked.

Rick turned his gaze in that direction. He noticed a small blonde head pop around the corner, a few seconds later another joined in. Rick smiled at the four-year-old twins and squatted down to their level.

"I'm Rick," he introduced himself. "Friend of your moms," he lied.

Both girls exited there room and walked over towards him. Both girls had their hair pulled back into pigtails and were dressed in pink overalls.

"Hi I'm Kierra," one introduced. "I'm Sierra," the other piped up.

Both girls stood in front of the writer, each girl reached for one of his hands and pulled him along.

* * *

><p><strong>Girls Bedroom – 12:10pm<strong>

Kate and Karen went in search of the writer after they had finished talking. As they entered the twin's room, they found him alright.

Rick was playing tea party with them. He has on a tiara and pink fluffy scarf. The room was full of pink and stuffed animals.

Kate entered the room further and her eyes absorbed in her partner, she bit back a chuckle. He had a little tea cup in his hand and was 'sipping tea'. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

"He's a keeper," the mother whispered to her.

Kate was a little startled by her words but as she looked at the writer, she couldn't help but smile. She nodded, biting down on her lip. "He sure is," she agrees.

The two women watched them for a few more minutes and a few silent photos later.

"Rick, it's time to go." Kate finally spoke up. He had his back to her, the two girls had spotted them but Kate had raised her finger to her lips.

The writer turned around, holding up his teacup. He could see the amusement in her eyes.

"Hey Kate, we're just having a spot of tea." He told her in a bad British accent.

Kate shook her head, letting a chuckle escape. "Leave the acting to your mother," she told him.

Rick stood up and handed back the props before walking towards her.

"That's not your first tea party," she guessed.

"Nope," he proudly answered. "And it won't be my last," he assured her as he walked passed her.

Kate looked at him questioningly. _Did he want more children?_ _Kate knew for a fact that she wanted to be a mother, but not until whoever is after her, are ten feet under. She wouldn't risk her children while that monster was still roaming. _

Kate's phone began to ring, pulling her from her thoughts. She pulled it from the pouch on her pant belt and answered.

"Beckett," she answered distracted.

Rick watched as his partner answered her phone in sort of daze, which changed as soon as she heard the voice. She snapped straight out of it and concern filled her face.

"Is everything okay? ... No I can be there in ten ... okay, see you soon." She answered over the phone.

Kate placed her phone back in its pouch, she turned her gaze on Karen who was standing in-between her girls.

"Thank-you for your help, if you can remember anything else, please don't hesitate to call." She told her, handing her a card.

The mother took it and nodded.

Rick and Kate then left the room.

"Where are we going?" the writer asked as they walked through the small two bedroom house.

"To see a friend," she told him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you have Chapter Two. Hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought.**

**Reviews are appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Of course I do not own Castle. But I own Deloris and Trayvon. **

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I was re-editing my first novel. Fixing the grammar, etc. **

**I would like to thank everyone for the reviews on Facebook, Twitter and FF. I am glad you're enjoying this little fic. **

**This fic is rated M for future chapter, just in-case anyone was wondering.**

**Beta-d by Teelduo**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE <strong>

**Autopsy – 12:15pm**

Lanie jotted a few notes down on the clipboard in front of her. She let out a sigh as she wrote in the official T.O.D of the young victim lying on her table. She knew her job was trying at times. After all she spent her days with dead bodies, not really a glamorous career but it had to be done. These lifeless bodies all held stories that had to be told, and it was her job to fill those pages with what happened.

Molly was just seventeen, had her whole life ahead of when she had gotten run down. In a blink of an eye, she was gone. She would have died instantly. Her neck had been snapped, if that hadn't killed her right away. The internal bleeding would have.

Soft music played throughout the loud, drowning out the quietness of this cold room.

"_But nobody died. We all made it home. Well, we'd fuss and fight and make mistakes. But life went on. There were broken hearts and dreams and wounded pride... But nobody died."_

Lanie put the clipboard down on the table with the computer on it, in front of her. She wiped the few silent tears that had managed to slip. When kids came through those doors, it made her job so much harder.

"_Kids got bullied, picked on and teased, but somehow we found our place in the scheme of things. And time heals everything, almost everything. When I look back on the things I've done. Some good, some bad, and I'm really sorry if I hurt anyone... Yeah, I'm really sorry if I hurt anyone."_

People often wondering why someone as up-beat and cherry as her, did this job. Chose this career, she always joked with her answer but never told anyone the truth. Only her Kate and family knew why she became a medical examiner. When she was fifteen, her uncle had been killed and the M.E at the time didn't do a proper job. Her uncle's killer walked, luckily she was caught a few months later when she killed again. Lanie didn't want other families to go through what her family had too.

"_How we'd get from there to here. From Shakespeare and Math and Science, too shots ringin' in our ears and what's it gonna take to get us back. Get us back to where." _The female voice sang. _"Nobody died. We all made it home. Well, we'd fuss and fight and make mistakes, but life went on. There were broken hearts and dreams and wounded pride. But nobody died... Nobody died, nobody died ..."_

Lanie inhaled a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling. She had to stop letting these cases get to her. The dark skinned woman focused on the task ahead. She had to make a phone call, then get back to the autopsy so Molly could finally rest in peace.

Lanie turned her attention to the speaker phone sitting beside the computer. She began tapping in a number she knew of by heart and listened to the dial town, waiting for a connection.

"Detective's Beckett's phone," Rick's voice echoed through the speaker.

She was surprised when a male voice answered, raising her eyebrow and looking down at it.

"Castle?" she questioned. "Why are you answering Kate's phone?" she added.

"Hey Lanie, Kate is driving and I have the phone on speaker." He informed her, his voice following naturally through the phone.

Lanie knew there was more to it than that. Kate didn't just let anyone answer her phone.

"Okay, I have confirmation on T.O.D of our vic." She told them. Lanie turned her attention back to her clipboard and her eyes focused on the paper. "She was killed around seven am, this morning."

Twenty seconds of silence passed.

"So she was killed not long after she left Ms Chambers house? She left there just after seven according Lauren." Kate's voice flowed through the speaker.

"Or she killed her?" Lanie suggested.

Another twenty seconds passed.

"She was with her daughters during T.O.D. I don't see her leaving them alone to kill a girl that she cared for. Lauren told me that Molly was like a younger sister to her," she told her friend. "I have the boys and uniforms door knocking and asking neighbours if they saw or heard anything this morning," she added.

Lanie nodded along, even though her friend couldn't see her. Her gaze drifted back to the body lying on the table. "I should have the autopsy completed within the next couple of hours if not sooner; it was the snap of the neck that killed her on impact of the vehicle that ran her down." She explained.

A long minute passed.

"I have to go see a friend. Can you let the boys know about the T.O.D," the female detective asked.

"Friend? What friend?" she questioned.

A few seconds passed.

"She won't tell me where we're going?" the writer pouted. Lanie could picture him crossing his arms and that adorable pout look on his face.

"Zip it or I'll leave you on the side of the road," Lanie heard Kate warn the writer.

Silence followed. Lanie just started at the phone.

"What's going on?" she questioned.

Lanie listened as she heard what sounded like someone switching from radio station to station.

A few seconds later she her Kate's voice again.

"Castle stop playing with the god damn Radio!" she hissed before the line then went dead.

Lanie looked down at the speaker phone a little unsure to what was going on, she let out a sigh and dialled another number she knew from heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Flatbush – 12:21pm – Saunders's House<strong>

Kate pulled up the car in-front of a slightly rundown house, in a rundown neighbourhood. She turned her eyes to the house, a few seconds later an older woman exited it.

While Flatbush today is predominantly African American and West Indian, there are sizable numbers of Caucasians, Latinos and Arabs living within its borders. While a majority of residents are working class, there are also middle-class and wealthier residents who call Flatbush home.

They were currently in the more rundown section of town.

Rick was taking in the surrounding around them. "You have a friend that lives in the ghetto?" he questioned, turning his attention on the brunette.

Kate rolled her eyes and hopped out of the car. She walked towards the small house and greets the older African American woman at the front gate.

Rick watches as his partner embraces in a hug with the older woman. He is now beyond curious to what the story was here. He unbuckled his belt and hopped out of the car before making his way over towards the ladies.

"Kate, thank-you for coming so quick," the older African-American woman told her.

Kate smiled at the older woman in her sixties. "Always Deloris, now what do you know?" the brunette questioned, standing opposite from her.

Rick made his way over towards them and stood beside his partner.

The woman sighed. "The school called and said Trayvon didn't turn up again. They are thinking of kicking him." She told her before looking at the hottie beside her.

Rick was looking at the older woman curious. _Who is Trayvon? And what is his connection with Kate?_

"You're that writer that follows Kate, aren't you?" Deloris questioned the man standing beside the brunette detective.

Rick turned his attention back to the woman in her sixties. She was a plump lady but she was very pretty. He smiled at the older woman and extended her hand.

"Richard Castle," he introduced himself.

The older woman smiled at him and shook his hand. "You're better looking in person then the photos Kate here showed me of you," she told him.

Rick turned his gaze to his partner. He expected to see her embarrassed but she seemed more distracted.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?" Kate asked the older woman, oblivious to the conversation around her. Her only concern was finding Trayvon before he got himself into serious trouble.

Deloris turned her attention the brunette. "Some place called Bob's bar, I've heard him mention a few times when those no-hopes he calls mates are over." She told Kate.

Kate ran her fingers through her hair. She knew where that was. Mike had told her about it once or twice. "That a few blocks away, we'll go pick him up." She told the older woman as she headed back for her car.

Rick followed Kate back to the car and hopped in, buckling up and turning his attention on the brunette beauty. She seemed distracted. He knew how to pull her from her thoughts.

"What photos do you have of me?" Rick questioned Kate as she drove off.

Kate had her eyes on the road when she heard Rick's question. "What?"

She didn't shift her eyes from the road.

"Deloris said and I quote 'You're better looking in person then the photos Kate here showed me of you' unquote," he told her matter-factly, fixing his gaze on her.

Kate wasn't in the mood to stroke his ego. "Um ... she must be talking about the group photos I showed her off all of us at the old haunt a few months ago," she lied.

Rick knew she was lying.

* * *

><p><strong>Glendale – 12:24pm<strong>

Detective Ryan sighed as he stood outside another door, pressing the doorbell and waiting. Kate had him and his partner amoung several other uniformed officers going door from door from Ms Chambers's house to the four blocks to the victim's family home. That was at least a good fifty houses they had to visit.

Since it was a Saturday, children were home and not the quiet ones either. They were the ones that asked a million and one questions or shout at each other while you were trying to talk to their parents.

Javier and Kevin had started from the victim's end and were standing outside the last house on the first block. The uniforms had started from Ms Chambers end.

Javier walked up the stairs and onto the porch and stood beside his partner. He was on his phone to Lanie.

"Okay, bye chica." Javier replied, closing his phone. The Hispanic detective had a goofy grin on his face.

"Lanie said T.O.D was seven am," he told his partner.

The door finally opened and standing in the doorway was a drag queen. The guy was over six foot tall and was wearing a blonde long wig, the make-up packed on and in killer black heels.

"Uh ..." Kevin began. Both male detectives were a little stunned.

"Detective's Esposito and Ryan, NYPD." Javier managed. "We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions?" he added.

The man nodded at them and smiled.

"Miss Breeland ... Lemon," the man dressed as a woman introduced herself. His voice was deep but high-pitched. He held out his hand, revealing long fingernails with leopard prints. He looked to be mid-thirties.

Kevin cleared his throat. "Lemon, have um seen any um thing out of the ordinary in the last twenty four hours." The Irish detective asked.

The guy was slender and the low cut black dress he was wearing left little too the imagination. He eyed the detectives up and down.

"There has been this yummy young ice-cream truck driver in his little ice-cream truck at odd hours. Early mornings and late evenings for the last week," Lemon began telling them. "At first I thought he was trying to check me out, so I went over and talked to him two days okay." She told him.

"Was he?" Javier asked.

Lemon shook his head. "No the entire time we were talking; he seemed distracted with checking out Molly who lives at the end of the block." He told them. "She sits for most of the kids in the area, such a sweetheart." He added.

Kevin held up a picture of the victim. "This her?" he asked.

Lemon focused his sea blue eyes on the picture and nodded. "Yeah, she looks dead in that photo." He pointed out, turning his eyes back on the detective both were quiet. His eyes widened when they didn't say a word, tears welling in his eyes.

"Oh my god, Molly." He gasped.

"How well did you know the victim?" he asked.

"She is my niece," he confessed upset. "Her mother is my older sister," Lemon added.

The partners looked at one another quickly before turning back to the drag queen opposite them.

"I am sorry for you loss," Kevin supplies.

"When you find who did this, let me know and I will make sure they don't see the light of the day." He told them, serious. "I am a prosecution lawyer." Lemon added.

Both partners just nodded their heads.

"Can you describe the truck driver to a sketch artist?" Javier asked.

Lemon nodded. "Just let me change," he told them.

"We're from the 12th, we'll see you back there." He called after Lemon.

Lemon waved a hand over his head as he disappeared into a room.

The Hispanic detective turned and faced his partner. "That is the third house that has seen an ice-cream truck hanging around at odd hours," Javier informs his partner.

* * *

><p><strong>Bob's Bar – 12:26pm<strong>

Rick and Kate entered a dimly lit pub. Kate had removed her coat, her deep red sweater and jeans outlined her curves perfectly. Her badge and gun was clearly visible. As they crossed the wooden flooring, she could feel eyes trained on her. She spotted her target perched on a bar stool in the middle of the bar with a drink in hand, he was about to take a drink.

"Don't even think about it Trayvon!" she shouted across the room. She watched as the kid but the drink back down on the bar and slowly turned around.

Kate stopped behind him. She glanced at the bar tender. "You always sell liquor to minors?" she questioned.

"His ID says he is 21," the guy defended.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Does he look twenty-one to you?" she asked.

The guy didn't say a word.

Rick stood protectively beside his partner. He wished he had his weapon on him to protect her, instead of it sitting in his safe at home. He watched as the dark skinned teenager spun around. He could pull of eighteen but no higher than that. The writer looked the kid up and down, he was dressed in baggy blue jeans and dark blue jersey shirt with a silver chain around his neck. His dreads were pulled back tight.

Trayvon looked the guy standing beside Kate, up and down. "So you're Kate's new screw," he suggests.

Rick glares at the kid. "Watch your mouth!" he warned.

The seventeen-year-old laughed at him. "Or what?" he asked.

Rick took a step forward and stared the kid down. "Or I'll shut it permanently!" he told him, his voice stone-cold serious.

Trayvon could tell that the older male was serious.

Kate placed her hand on her partner's shoulder. She had never seen him threaten anyone before. "Okay Rocky, I got it from here." She told him.

The brunette detective turned her attention on the kid. "Tray, what are you doing here? You're meant to be a school. They told you in the last meeting if you kept skipping then you will get the boot," she expressed.

He turned back to the bar and shrugged his shoulders.

"Do not turn your back to me when I am talking to you!" She told him. "Come on, I am taking you home." She added.

Trayvon didn't budge from his seat.

Kate grew annoyed, quickly. "Tray you are leaving with us now, whether it be in cuffs or voluntarily.

Trayvon muttered something under his breath before he turned around and hopped off the bar stool. He was the same height as Kate. He stared her door, she didn't waver.

"Move it!" she ordered. He began walking forward.

Her phone began ringing, she retrieved it from the pouch on her pant belt and glanced at the number before answering. "Beckett."

"Yo Kate, we think we found a suspect. At least three of the neighbours all claim to have seen an ice-cream truck hanging around the neighbourhood at odd hours. One of the neighbours is the uncle of the victim, we have him coming down to describe the driver to a sketch artist." Esposito told his boss.

"I'll meet you back at the 12th, I am not sure how much longer Castle and I will be. Keep me updated," she told him.

"Well do," he answered before hanging up.

* * *

><p><strong>Saunders House – 12:34pm - Kitchen <strong>

Kate was sitting at the table opposite the older woman. Rick was making her a coffee as he ears dropped.

"Kate I can't keep doing this, I am not well." Deloris told the brunette.

Kate reached her hand across the table and placed it over the older woman's. "Is the cancer back?" she asked, apprehensive.

Deloris shook her head. Kate let out a breath of release.

"It's my memory, the doctors says I have early stages of Dementia." She told her. Rick placed the coffee in front of the older woman before joining his partner's side.

Kate gasped. Rick stood behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. He knew this woman met something to Kate but he wasn't sure what. She had been tight lip about the boy even.

"I am checking myself into a home where I can be taken care of," Deloris told her.

Kate was worried about the older woman. "Can you afford that?" she asked.

Deloris nodded, smiling. "I have a nice nest egg saved; I am also selling the house."

Kate could still feel Rick's hand on her shoulder. His touch was making it hard to concentrate on the subject ahead. "What about Trayvon?" she asked, closing her eyes.

Deloris sighed, heavily. "I can't take care of him anymore Kate. He has two options, fostercare or you."

Kate was enjoying the touch of Rick messaging her shoulder when she heard what Deloris just said. "What?" she asked, her eyes shooting open.

"He is out of control Kate, I saw him smoking the other day. He doesn't listen to him," the older woman told her.

Kate tensed until she felt Rick's touch again. She was stunned; the future of a seventeen-year-old lays in her hands. She was a single cop. How could she possibly raise a teenage boy?

"I know this is a big decision and I hate to ask you. But you're the only family I left?" Deloris preached.

Kate sighed. The older woman wasn't making it easy on her.

"Family?" Rick questioned, finally speaking up.

Kate turned her eyes on the writer, she was wondering how long it was going to take for him to ask. She had actually been surprised at how long he had stayed quiet.

"Deloris has pretty much been a grandmother to me for the last ten years," Kate confessed.

Rick's had his gaze fixed on the brunette. He knew there was more to the story.

"I met Deloris through Royce," she confessed. "Deloris is Trayvon's grandmother and Trayvon is Royce's son," she told the writer.

Rick didn't see that twist coming. _Royce had a son?_

"Tray is seventeen. Royce and his mother divorced when Trayvon was three. His mother Tahlie had custody of Tray until she was killed in a car accident two years ago," she began explaining. "Tray has been in Deloris care since. When Royce died, I started visiting Deloris at least once a week, instead of month ... up until my accident." She told him.

"How are you doing my dear?" Deloris asked the female detective.

Kate gave her a soft smile. "Better, it hurts sometimes but I am doing a lot better." She admitted.

Kate could feel the writer's eyes on her. She knew he was worried about her, but she didn't want to worry him. She wasn't his reasonability.

"You are too thin my dear, are you eating properly?" Deloris questioned.

Kate shifted her eyes from the older woman and to her hands on the table. "Yep," she lied.

Rick scoffed and Deloris swats the detectives shoulder. "Don't lie to me," she told her.

Kate lifted her gaze to the older woman. "Sorry Deloris," she apologized.

Deloris locked her brown eyes on the younger brunette. "I worry about you Kate, you don't have to act strong for me." She told her, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand.

Deloris was the closest thing Kate ever had to a grandparent. She didn't know either grandparent from her parent's sides. She smiled across at the other woman and realization hit her. _How long would she remember her after she lost her memory?_ It would be one more person she would lose from her life, one more person she deeply cared about.

"I need some fresh air," she told them. "To think," she added before standing up and heading out of the kitchen.

Rick and Deloris both watched her leave.

"She needs you," Deloris told the writer. "She might not admit it, but she does."

* * *

><p><strong>Front Porch<strong>

Kate is standing on the front porch, she needed a moment to think and some fresh air. She let a few silent tears slide down her face. It took Rick all of minute before he followed her.

She kept her eyes out onto the road, avoiding eye contact with him. She was doing her best to control her emotions.

"So ..." he spoke up. He knew something was wrong because she kept her back to him.

Kate turned and locked eyes with the writer. "What if I screw up?" she asked him.

Rick could see the tears in her eyes. She was scared, not of the teenager but of failing. He shook his head.

"Not possibile Kate," he told her, taking a step closer to her. "You are one of the most strongest, stubbornest yet extraordinary people I have ever met."

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, only a few inches between them. She disliked how her emotions were getting the better of her. She was usually so good at masking them whenever he was around.

"You can do anything you set your heart to, Kate." Rick told her. "I will _always _be standing beside you, whenever you need me." He promised.

Kate knew he would be. He wasn't just saying that. She enclosed the distance between them and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his chest.

Rick was startled at first with her embrace but only for a few seconds. He welcomed it, encircling his arms around her waist and pulling her as close as possible without hurting her. His heart was racing which she would be aware of since her head was resting against it. He could smell her Cherrie shampoo in her hair and it was intoxicating.

"You two gonna kiss already," Trayvon shouted from behind them. "Cause your blocking the way," he told them.

Kate's eyes shot open and she lifted her head from the writer's chest, turning her attention on the dark skinned teenager standing opposite them. Rick still had hold of her and she didn't mind one bit, she wasn't ready to let go.

"Tray, go pack your things, you're coming with me!" She told him. Rick loosened the grip on her enough so she could turn around and face the smart-mouth teen.

Trayvon looked at the detective like she was joking. "Funny Kate," he told her.

Kate didn't budge from her spot, she just stared him down. Rick did the same.

"You serious?" he asked.

She nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:Now everything I say about Flatbush, I learned from Google. I also love the movie Connie and Carla which bought on the scene with Ryan and Esposito. **

**Reviews are appreciated, along with questions. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Of Course I do not own Castle. But I do own Lemon/Liam and Trayvon.**

_**A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter but I was re-editing my second novel – Last Dance. Also work has been crazy because of the up-coming Holiday season.**_

_**I would like to thank-you for all the reviews on Twitter, facebook and FF. Since me Beta is off on Holidays, if mistakes that are made, please point them out.**_

_**Some people are Iffy about Trayvon, don't worry. I do have a purpose for bringing him into Caskett's life.**_

_**Beta-d by Teelduo **_

**12th Precinct - 12:50pm – Bullpen**

Kevin and his partner cross the bullpen and walk towards the murder-board to up-date it with the new information they had learned. The Irish detective closed his phone.

"Okay the company that owns the ice-cream truck that Lemon described is located in Mount Vernon. Good Humor ice-cream has fifty trucks and over a hundred drivers, they're emailing over the list of their drivers and their shifts soonish." He informed his partner.

The two stopped in front of the murder-board. Javier picked up the black marker pen and began adding the new information to the board.

"Hi detectives," a deep male voice addresses them.

Both male detectives turn around and look at the stranger, the face looked familiar. The guy standing opposite from them was at least six-foot-tall and was in a dark blue power-suit with a red tie. His sandy blonde hair was gelled and he had really deep blue eyes.

"Lemon?" Kevin guessed. The face looked familiar but out of drag he looked different.

He nods. "Liam Adams during office hours," he told them.

A minute of silence passed before anyone spoke up.

"This way," he directed the witness.

Liam held back as Kevin walked out of the bullpen, checking his butt out before following him.

Javier just shook his head before turning back to the murder-board and continued adding information.

**Autopsy – 12:55pm**

The two adults and teenager walked through the doors of the dimly lit cold room.

"Have Mercy," Trayvon greeted Lanie as they walked over towards her.

Kate didn't want the teenager to come into Autopsy because of the dead bodies, but he insisted that he was not a child. She shot a quick text through to her best-friend and asked her to cover the body since she would be bringing someone with her.

She whacked the boy on the shoulder.

"Dude ... Respect!" Rick told the teen as they walked towards the autopsy table. He was relieved when the girl had been covered; he wasn't sure how he would take seeing the teenager again.

"I was just stating that she's hot," Trayvon proudly admitted.

Lanie lifted her eyes from the chart she was filling out and looked towards the new visitors. She was curious to who the kid was, he looked to be late teens. Kate had mentioned something about visiting a friend, why did she now have a teenager with her?

"Kate, Castle ... Romeo." She greeted them.

Kate and Rick stopped opposite from Lanie, an autopsy table between them. Trayvon walked around the table and stood right beside her.

"Can I help you?" the dark skinned woman asked him.

Trayvon looked her up and down. "I hope," he grinned.

Lanie gave the teenager a 'Yeah Right' look, hugging her clipboard.

"Trayvon!" Kate hissed.

Lanie turned her attention back to her best-friend. She noticed how close the writer was standing beside Kate, they were practically touching.

"Somebody please tell me what is going on?" The medical examiner asked.

Kate turned her attention from the teenager and towards her friend.

"Long story short, Trayvon is Royce's son and is temporally in my care." Kate explained.

Lanie's eyes widened and her jaw gaped.

"I'll explain it all later," she told her friend. "Do you have any more on the vic?" she asked.

Lanie looked at her friend and the writer curiously. "She has recently been in cold storage for at least two hours," she told them.

"Ice-cream truck?" Rick suggested. Kate had told him about what the boys told her with the neighbours concern.

"It's possible that she was stored in a freezer, I found melted substance on her and sent it off to the lab ... but it looked like ice-cream." She told them.

"Some psycho killed somebody and stored them with ice-cream?" Trayvon questioned. "That's messed up," he added.

All eyes turned to on the teenager. Kate nodded in agreement, the kid had a point.

Lanie turned her attention back to Kate. "She died on impact, COD was a snapped neck."

Kate closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

_How could someone run down a teenage girl? And then store her in an ice-cream freezer for two hours before they dump her body in the park. _

She felt Rick's hand on the small of her back, gently rubbing it. It felt right, somehow.

"Thanks Lanie," she raised her gaze to her friend, noticing the look she was giving her. The brunette sighed knowing that she couldn't avoid this. She shifted her gaze towards the writer.

"Hey Castle, can you guys wait for me at the elevator. I need to talk to Lanie for a minute," she told him.

He looked at her a little concerned but nodded. "Sure," he smiled at her before turning his attention to the teenager who was still checking out the M.E. "Tray! Move it!" he ordered.

The two women watched as the two males left the room, as soon as the doors closed behind them. The young Medical Examiner spoke up.

"What's going on with you and writer boy?" Lanie asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Kate looked at her friend confused. "Nothing ... Yet," she answered, bitting down on her bottom lip and averting her eyes.

Lanie's eyes widened. "Yet? What the hell do you mean by that?" she demanded, loudly.

Kate looked back at her friend, wide eyed. "Ssshhh Lanie, he'll hear you." She hissed.

Lanie just glared at her friend. "Start talking!" she demanded.

Kate ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't sure what to say because she wasn't actually sure what this was, they were friends but recently if felt like they were a little more.

The female detective sighed. "Last night he came over with dinner and wine, totally unexpected and we ate together while watching a movie." She began explaining.

Lanie nodded along, a smile plastered on her face.

"The second movie then began playing and we both just got lost in it, it was nice." She told her, a small smile tugging at her lips. "At some point we fell asleep on the couch because I woke the next morning and -" she trailed off.

"AND!" Lanie shouted.

Kate looked guilty, dropping her gaze to the ground. "Um, we were kinda cuddling and it felt good." She told her friend before darting towards the exit.

Lanie was gobsmacked.

"This conversation is not over Kate!" Lanie shouted after her.

**13:01 pm**

The Hispanic detective was sitting behind his desk and going over all the information they had gathered, in his head. All cases were hard but kid cases were the worse. But when the kid had a striking resemblance to one of your good friend's kids, it was harder to stay focused to bring justice for the family.

"He was checking out the sketch artist guy," Kevin announced as he walked towards his partner. "Flirting with him," he added.

Javier turned his attention to his partner. "Jealous?" he joked.

The elevator doors pinged and a moment later Kate, Rick and Trayvon exited them, making their way towards the bullpen.

Javier was the first one to spot them.

"Who's Kid?" Javier calls. Kevin turned around and looked at the two adults and teenager, heading their way.

Kate stopped a few metres from her desk, turning to look at the two male detectives.

"Mine ... for now," she told them. The brunette turned her attention to the teenager. "Take a seat and don't move," she ordered him.

Trayvon glared at the female detective, giving her a mock salute. She glared back.

Rick stood right beside the brunette, shooting a glare at the teenager. He would love to take this kid down a few pegs.

Both male detectives look at her stunned.

Kate turned her attention from the smart mouthed teen and towards the murder-board, looking at the up-dated information. **Creepy Ice-Cream Man **had been added.

"Kidnapped me, more like it." Trayvon told the male detectives.

Kate just rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Seriously Beckett?" Kevin asks as the two walked towards their boss and her partner.

"What?" she asked, turning her eyes from the board and looking at the male detectives.

"Who's the Kid?" Javier asked once again.

Kate sighed. She knew a simple answer wouldn't satisfy them.

"I told you, she kidnap me. I was waiting outside of a bookstore and-" Trayvon began spinning a tale until the female detective cut him off.

"Trayvon! That's enough!" raising her voice, she warned him.

The bullpen was engulfed in silence for a long minute.

"Detective Beckett! A word please!" Captain Gates Barked from her doorway.

"Someone's in trouble," Trayvon grinned.

Kate turned her attention to the writer. "Can you tell them?" she asked him.

Rick smiled at her and nodded.

Kate smiled back before heading towards the Captain's office, which at times felt like the principal's office. She heard Rick tell them about Trayvon as she entered the office.

"Tray is Royce's son," He began, watching as both detectives jaws dropped.

**Captain's Office**

The female detective closed the door behind herself. She turned and faced the Captain.

Gates was sitting on the corner of her desk, her eyes fixed on the young female detective. Her arms were folded across her chest.

"What is going on? And who does that kid belong to?" the dark skinned woman demanded.

Kate stood tall, everytime she entered this office it felt strange. Roy wasn't here anymore and his awards weren't on the wall. She fixed her eyes on the older woman in front of her.

"Tray is temporally in my custody as of thirty minutes ago, Sir." She told her.

Victoria raised her eyebrow curiously at the young detective.

"Explain?" she requested.

Kate nodded and took a few steps forward.

"Tray is the son of my old training officer who was a good friend of mine, he was killed last year." She began telling the older woman. "Two years ago his mother was killed in a car accident so his grandmother got custody of him. She called me an hour ago and said she needed my help." Kate divulged. "Deloris informed me that she was recently diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's."

Victoria kept her gaze on the female detective. She could hear the sadness in the younger woman's voice; the older woman meant something to her.

"It was either he lives with me or foster-care," she told her, her voice softening. "I couldn't do that to him, or Royce."

A minute of silence passed.

"A teenager is a lot of work, detective." The captain spoke up. "You constantly have to keep an eye on them, the world is a different place to what it used to be." She delivered.

Kate nodded, she knew that. There was a dead seventeen-year-old girl down stairs in autopsy to prove that.

"I am guessing that you will have him close by today?" Captain Gates questioned.

Kate nodded. "I have called his school and I have a meeting with them this afternoon at three," she informed her. "I promise he won't get in the way of this investigation," she told her boss.

"He better not, just remember that this is a police station and not a babysitting service." Victoria told her, firmly.

"I am aware of that Sir," Kate replied.

Thirty seconds of silence passed.

"What have you got on this current case?" the captain enquired.

Kate released the breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding.

**Bullpen – 13:11pm**

Rick was staring at the murder-board, lost in his thoughts from earlier today.

He had told the boys as much as he knew about Trayvon, which was what Kate told him. He knew there was a lot more to the story but didn't want to push. She would open up to him when she felt it was right.

_**Saunders House – 12:40pm**_

_Rick was in the kitchen with Kate's surrogate grandmother. Kate had gone to watch Trayvon pack, making sure he brought no little surprises with him. _

"_Are you sure you're financially alright?" Rick asked the older woman, cautiously. "Because if you need the help, I can help you." He told her._

_Deloris looked at the writer, amazed. "You don't even know me," she replied._

_Rick had his gaze fixed on the older woman. "You're family to Kate, that's all I need to know." He told her, honestly._

"_I promise you I am fine ... Kate's real lucky you know, to have someone like you in her life." Deloris told him. "I remember around four years ago when she came for a visit, she was all fired up because this writer had decided to make her his new hobby." _

_Rick looked at the older woman intrigued. "Really?" he asked._

_The African-American woman laughed. "Yeah, she went on and on for over an hour about how he got himself invited to her investigation and stole evidence from her. He used his friendship with the mayor to 'shadow her'," she began to laugh. "After she finally calmed down she told me about the case and how you actually helped."_

_Rick grinned at the past memory, she was cute when she got mad. _

"_She admitted that," he asked, surprised. _

_Deloris nodded, smiling. "Over the last four years, I have seen a change in Kate. She smiles more, seems happier." The older woman looked across at the writer. "And I know you are to thank for that," she told him._

_Rick kept his gaze fixed on the older woman._

"_Everytime she visited she would up-date me on you and your crazy theories. She told me how she was starting to trust you, you mean a lot to her." Deloris delivered. _

"_She means a lot to me too," Rick confessed to the older woman. "More then she'll even know."_

_Deloris watched the writer. Kate had confided in her about the shooting, she promised not to tell a soul about it, she knew the female detective had to sort out her head before she could give her heart. She could see the longing in the writer's eyes. He needed to know that Kate wasn't far away from allowing her heart to feel again. _

"_She even met you, years before at a book signing." Deloris told him. _

_Rick turned his attention back on the older woman._

"_What you wrote meant a lot to her. She came and saw me that weekend and was still smiling," the older woman divulged. _

_Rick was stunned; he had met Kate years ago. How could he not remember her? _

_Kate and Trayvon entered the room. The teenager had two duffle bags in hand._

"_Ready Castle?" she asked as her eyes drunk him in. He had a far out look on his face, like he was deep in thought. _

"_Rick!" Kate's voice rose. _

_Rick heard Kate call him by his first name, which she mainly did when they were just hanging out or having a heart-to-heart. He turned his blue eyes on his partner. "Huh?" _

_Kate looked at him concerned. "You okay?" she asked. _

_He just nodded. "Yep, ready to go?" he asked her, noticing the two large duffle bags the kid was carrying. He stood up and walked towards her._

"_Yeah," she answered, looking passed him and at Deloris. The older woman was smiling. _

The writer had been searching his memory bank ever since. He had signed thousands if not more novels over the years. The writer had met millions of woman and yet he couldn't remember the most important woman bar Alexis that has ever entered his life.

"So are you sleeping with Kate or what?" Trayvon asked the older man.

Kate exited the Captain's officer hearing the teenagers comment, she made her way back over towards her desk. The boys had returned to their own desk, they both had a faraway look. The same look Rick had had not long ago.

"Trayvon, keep it up and I will lock you up in the holding cell downstairs until I solve this case!" She warned him as she reached her desk, the teenager was sitting in her chair.

Trayvon turned his eyes on the older woman. "Pretty sure that's abuse detective," he spoke back.

Kate glared at the teenager; he was really trying to push her buttons. What happened to the sweet teenager she knew a few years ago?

"Nope educational experience," Rick interjected.

The two male detectives began making their way over towards their boss.

"Yeah, you'll get a real education with the guy we currently have down there." Kevin piped up.

"Yeah a meth addicted coming off a high and going through withdrawal ... he could really use a friend," the Hispanic detective smirked.

Trayvon's eyes widened. "You can't do that," he told them.

Kate locked her eyes on the time, suppressing her smile. "I am you're current guardian. As long as I clothe, feed and give you shelter, then I check off all the boxes."

She had no intentions of letting the teenager near a jail cell but figured scaring some sense into him might help Trayvon change his tone. She had a good poker-face.

Trayvon went quiet.

Kate let the smile slip as she turned to her team and asked. "What have we got?"

She was standing opposite to the murder-board; her partner was standing beside her. He was standing closer then he usually did. The brunette had noticed the changes with their partnership over the last few months. She was comfortable around him.

"Just waiting on an email from Good Humor Ice-Cream-" Kevin began explaining before he heard his computer ping. He turned from them and walked back to his computer.

"We have the uncle in with the sketch artist at the moment," Javier told her, clearing his throat.

Kate looked at the Hispanic detective, curiously. "What?" she asked.

"When we knocked on the uncle's door he was all dressed up," he told her.

Kate looked at him confused.

"Dressed up? As in ready to go out?" Rick questioned.

Javier shook his head. His partner walked back towards them with a few sheets of paper in his hand. He handed the sheets of paper to his boss.

"All of the truck driver's names address and shift times along with the streets they serve." He told her.

Kate dropped her gaze to the paper and absorbed in the names and shift times. "That will narrow it down a bit for us," she told them.

"Dressed up how?" his curiosity, piqued. The writer knew it was something intriguing for the male detective to mention it.

Javier turned to his partner and gave him a look. "I was telling them about Lemon Breeland," he told his partner.

Kate lifted her gaze from the paper and looked at the detectives. "That's a woman's name," she pointed out.

"Well yeah, it's the uncle's drag name." Kevin casually answered.

Kate's jaw dropped and Rick's eyes widened.

"He was dressed as a woman when we answered the door," Kevin told them, casually.

"Dude are you serious?" Trayvon spoke up.

"Holding cell!" Kate warned before turning back to her team members.

Liam and the sketch artist came into view. The sketch artist handed Kevin the sketch before turning and power-walking away.

All eyes were on the lawyer.

"Hi I am Liam Adams," he introduced himself.

Kate cleared her throat before smiling at him. "Hi Liam, Detective Kate Beckett and my partner Richard Castle," she introduced herself before gesturing to Rick.

Liam looked the writer up and down, smiling. Kate bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing her grin.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee," Rick spoke up before leaving the room and heading towards the break room.

Kate watched the writer almost speed walk towards the break room, a smile tugging at her lips. She turned her attention back to the lawyer and noticed that he was staring at her partner's ass.

"So you like to dress as a chick?" Trayvon asked, casually, his feet resting on Kate's desk.

All eyes turned to the teenager sitting in the chair.

"Tray!" the brunette detective, hissed.

"No, it's fine. Really, I am used to the stares and questions." He told them.

Kate turned her gaze back onto the cross-dresser standing beside Detective Ryan, really close. The detective was looking at the sketch of the suspect, oblivious to the closeness of the lawyer.

"What can you tell us about the ice-cream driver?" she asked as she watched Kevin realize how close the lawyer was to him and take a step away. She withheld the grin as the male detective handed her the sketch.

"He had sea blue eyes, tanned complexion and a gorgeous smile." Liam told her. "Kinda looks like a younger Tom Cruise."

Kate dropped her gaze to the sketch. "But better looking," she added, absorbing in the picture.

"Do you know his name?" she asked the lawyer, lifting her gaze.

"His name tag read 'Sam" Liam told the detective.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip. At least that was something to go on.

"Can I see Molly?" the lawyer asked. "I don't have kids and she is – was the closest thing-"

The brunette didn't need to hear anymore. "Of course, Detective Ryan will show you." She told him.

Liam's face let up at the mention of the male detective's name.

Kate bit back a smile.

Kevin glared at his boss. "This way Sir," he mumbled.

She watched them walk off as Rick exited the break room with two mugs in his hands. He watched the detective and lawyer walk towards the elevator, a big grin was on his face.

"That was cruel," Javier told her.

Kate turned her attention from Rick and on the detective. "You wanna go with?" she threatened.

Javier shook his head.

Rick stopped opposite of his partner and handed her a mug. "Ryan going on a date," he smirked.

Kate grinned at him, shaking her head as she grabbed the mug with her free hand.

**A/N: I have part of the next chapter already written and will try and get it to you guys sooner than this one arrived. I have just been busy and it looks that the next few days are pretty filled also. **

**I would like to thank Phnx Grl for all her help with numerous question I constantly am bugging her with about Newyork. **

**Reviews are appreciated **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Castle. But I am lovin season 4.**

**A/N: Thank-you for all the reviews via Twitter, facebook and FF.**

**Chapter 4 has been now beta-d, so if you wanted to check it out.**

**Beta-d by Teelduo**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**Deli – 13:28pm**

Rick and Trayvon were seated at a table, waiting for their order to be called. The writer had called ahead before leaving the 12th so they didn't have to wait as long. The Deli was a five-minute walk from the precinct. Kate had requested for Trayvon to go with the writer while he picked up the lunch order. She didn't really want the teenager overhearing details of the case.

"Look Tray, the last few months Kate has been through hell and back and she doesn't need you adding to it." Rick tells him, genuinely.

The teenager has his attention fixed on his phone in his hands.

"I didn't ask to live with her!" Trayvon bit back.

Rick turned and faced the teenager, knocking the phone from his hands. "If she didn't take you in, you would be in foster care," he told Trayvon straight-out. "Think about that the next time you open your month to be a smart alec!" Rick told him as he walked ahead.

A long minute of silence passed between the two.

"So what's your deal with Kate?" Trayvon casually asked the writer, breaking the silence that had accumulated between the two males.

Rick turned his attention to the teenage boy; once again his thoughts had been filled with a certain brunette female detective. He was searching his memory bank for her face and that book signing.

"We're partners, unofficially." He simply told the boy, forcing a smile.

Trayvon observed the older man. Growing up his father had taught him how to read people, tell when they were lying.

"You're in love with her," Trayvon told him. "I mean, I don't blame you. Kate's hot but like an aunt to me," he added.

Rick locked his blue orbs on the dark skinned teenager. _Was he that obvious about his attraction towards his partner?_

"Order for Storm ... Jameson Storm," A voice behind the counter calls.

Rick raises his hand, standing up and walked over to the counter. He pays for the order and walks back to the table where Trayvon is now standing. The two make their way towards the door.

"Jameson Storm, really?" the teenager questioned. "Mixing two characters from two different series?"

The two males walked out of the Deli and made their way towards the 12th.

"You've read my stuff?" the writer questioned, looking at the boy.

Trayvon turned his attention on the writer and gave him a 'Yeah Right' look.

"I told ya, Kate is like an aunt to me. Her and Grams were always talking about your novels or the famous writer monkey that had deicide he wanted to shadow her," Trayvon informed him.

The two walked for a minute before Rick spoke up again. "Writer Monkey? Kate called me that?" he asked in disbelief.

Trayvon was back to playing with his phone. "Several years ago, yeah. But for the last two years, she has referred to you as her partner."

Rick was a little stunned that for the last two years she had referred to him as her partner, a smile tugged at his lips.

Kate talked about him to people.

* * *

><p><strong>13:35pm<strong>

Kate was staring at her computer screen, even though her mind was elsewhere. She kept replaying the day's events over and over in her head. Ever since she woke this morning in his arms, the brunette was finding it hard to think about anything other than her partner. Which was wrong because there was a dead teenage girl that deserved all of her attention and not her writer, she has never been this unfocused on a murder case before.

_Her writer, _wow that thought sounded odd.

Even the thought of Rick belonging to her made her feel a little apprehensive. What right did she even have to thinking that? He is a person, not a piece of property. Rick didn't belong to her.

"Yo Beckett," Javier called as he walked towards his boss.

The female detective heard her team mate call out and pushed all thoughts of the writer from her mind, turning her eyes on the male detective standing in front of her desk.

"There were two Sam's and one Samson," he explained. "I pulled all three files of the drivers and only one matched the sketch and description given by -" Javier began explaining before he was interrupted.

"He said he needed to be held!"Kevin shouted as he walked off the elevator and towards them. "I swear Beckett, I will get you back for that!" he promised as he stopped by his partner.

Kate bit down on her lip, suppressing the laughter itching to escape. She turned her attention back to the Hispanic detective who also had a smirk on his lips.

"You were saying?" Kate asked, focusing her attention on the case.

Kevin had his arms crossed and a scowl expression on his face.

Javier turned his attention back to his boss. "Samson Preston, 21. He is studying Neural Science at NYU. He lives in Woodhaven, owns the house, he inherited it from his parents when they died in a car accident when he was 16."

Kate looked at him a little unsure. "What's his connection to the victim?" she pondered.

"Her street is on his route," Javier told her.

The elevator pings and Kate turns her attention towards it. She watches as Trayvon and Rick walk off, heading in the direction of the break room. Rick was carrying the food and the two were talking.

The brunette stood up and reached in her desk for her gun, shifting her eyes back to the boys. "Okay, let's go pay him a visit. Let me just tell Castle, we'll take two cars."

The boys nod their heads and head back to their desks to grab their gears.

* * *

><p><strong>Break Room<strong>

Rick was placing the food on the table, setting it out. He had gotten enough for Kate's team and them. He placed the last container on the table and that's when he got the feeling that he was being watched.

Kate was standing in the doorway, watching the writer set the break room table just like he did her coffee table last night. Trayvon was sitting on one of the chairs, his eyes glued to that phone of his.

Kate turned her eyes back on her partner. He was now looking back at her, their eyes locked and at first no words were said. It was like they were back at her apartment, in the kitchen.

_**Kate's Apartment – 09:15am**_

_Kate walked the writer to her door. They had just finished breakfast and Rick even helped her clean up. She liked seeing this side to the writer, the home side. _

_Kate opened the door and watched as Rick walked passed her and though the door, he turned around and faced her. Kate was still holding onto the door because at the moment it was the only thing keeping her stable._

"_This was fun," he answered honestly, smiling at her._

_Kate couldn't help but smile back, bitting down on her bottom lip._

"_Yeah it was," she admitted. "But you have a daughter to get back to," she told him, still smiling. She couldn't help it, just being around Rick made her happy. _

_Rick leaned in and Kate closed her eyes. She felt his lips brush her cheek._

"_See you later Kate," he softly whispered in her ear. _

_A few seconds passed before the brunette reopened her eyes and watch as the writer walked towards the elevator. _

_How did he manage to turn her, Kate Beckett into putty? She watched Rick turn around and press the down button, he was smiling at her. The doors then closed and Kate chuckled to herself._

_Was she being stupid? _

_She was acting like a little school girl at the moment. Even though nothing physical happened between the two this morning, it felt like everything had changed. _

_At this moment she couldn't help but be happy. _

_Kate closed the door and locked it, she turned and headed for her bathroom. She was in need for a shower, finally. _

_Ten minutes later she emerged from her bathroom, entering her bedroom in her robe, a towel wrapped around her hair. The brunette raised her eyes to the clock on her bedside table, it was almost nine thirty. _

_Kate walked over towards her dresser and opened her tressure box with the picture of her parent on top. She ran her fingers over the photo; a sad smile touched her lips. _

"_Morning mom," she whispered before lifting the lid and retrieving her father's watch and her mother's ring, sliding the watch on her wrist before she slid the chain over her neck. Kate had done this routine everyday for the last eleven years. The brunette walked back towards her bed, her eyes dropping to the bedside table once again. She fixed them on the novel that was sitting on top with a book mark in it. _

_Kate sat down on the bed, she picked up the novel and opened once again. She reread the inscription on the front page, her fingers running over the words that Richard Castle had written before they even knew each other. _

_Her phone ringing bought her back to focus, she shifted her eyes from the page and to her cell sitting on her bed. Kate scooped up her phone, glancing at the ID._

"_Beckett," she answered as she always did._

_Kate listened to her teammate on the other end, informing her of a crime scene needing her attention. She nodded along. "Okay, we'll be there in twenty." She told him before hanging up._

_Kate went on autopilot as she speed-dialled Rick, standing up she walked towards her closet._

_She listened to the call ring out, a moment later she heard his voice. _

"_Miss me already, detective" Rick answered, playfully. _

_Kate bit down on her lip, suppressing the grin. _

"_No," she lied. "We have body Romeo," she added letting the smile take full force on her lips. _

Sound coming from the teenager's phone pulled the brunette from getting lost in her partner's eyes, she knew that sound. Trayvon was playing 'Angry Birds'. She knew it was that because Rick was constantly playing that game when he was bored.

"We found the Tom Cruise look-a-like," she mumbled.

"I'm coming with," Rick told her.

Kate looked at him with concern, than glanced at the teenager. "Someone needs to watch Trayvon," she told him.

"No they don't," he piped up, not shifting his gaze from the phone in his hands. "I ain't no baby," he added.

"You're not a baby," Rick corrected him.

"And I am not leaving you here alone," Kate added.

Rick and Kate locked their eyes on one another for a long minute, as if they were trying to read each other's mind.

"Officer Bridges," Rick suddenly called out.

Kate looked at her blue eyed partner confused. "What?"

Rick walked passed Kate and towards the door, her eyes followed him.

The rookie officer that transferred to the 12th last week stopped in the doorway. He was 23 and tall. He had short black hair and brown eyes. James was also Australian; he has been living in America since he was sixteen. He is an Army brat, his mother is based in DC and James moved to NY when he was 18. He was married to the love of his life and they were expecting their first child. Rick had found out all of this within one conversation, the kid loved to talk.

"Hey Mates," he greeted the detectives in normal Aussie fashion.

Rick grinned at the younger male, tapping him on the shoulder. "Mate, you've meet Detective Beckett right?" he asked him, both men turning to look at the slightly confused female detective.

James nodded. "Not officially," he answered, honestly. He beamed a friendly smile at the older woman, extending his hand.

"Officer James Bridges, nice to meet you Miss." He greeted her.

Kate looked at his hand for a moment before shaking it. "Kate," she managed, still confused. What was Rick up to?

The writer knew that James was a really nice guy, always willing to help when he can.

"James, I need to ask a favour?" Rick began.

James turned his attention from the female detective and locked it on the writer; he was a good four inches taller than the older man.

"Sure thing Mate, what do you need?" he asked.

Kate now knew where this was going and what her partner was up to.

"Ka- Detective Beckett and I, have to go and suss out a suspect and you would be a BIG help," he began, exaggerating on the 'Big'. "If you could watch Trayvon for us until we get back, help yourself to the food." Rick finished, gesturing to the table full of food.

James turned his attention on to the dark skinned teenager who was glued to his phone and the game he was playing. The rookie officer had heard the whispers containing the writer and female detective, there was even some pool going. He found that odd, but didn't judge.

"Sure thing Mate, I am on my lunch break at the moment." He shared.

Kate turned her attention to her partner, disapproving.

Rick slapped his shoulder again. "Perfect, like I said. Help yourself," he told him.

Rick turned around and saw Kate glaring at him. "Come on Beckett," he told her before walking out of the room.

The female detective groaned before turning her attention towards Trayvon.

"Behave," she ordered him. "I will lock you up in that holding cell if need be," she added before following her partner out of the room. She stopped at the door and turned, looking at the Rookie officer.

"Thanks again Officer," Kate told him, genuinely.

James just smiled at her. "Happy to help," he called after her.

* * *

><p><strong>Driving <strong>

Javier had his eyes on the road as he drove through the early afternoon New York traffic; he spotted Kate's car a few cars behind them.

Kevin was on his laptop, researching the suspect. He was better at technology them Javier and usually found more information quicker.

"So what do you really think is going on with Beckett and Castle?" Javier spoke up, not shifting his eyes from the road.

The Irish detective didn't shift his gaze from the screen in front of him, shrugging his shoulders. "Not sure, they seem more closer than usual." He replied.

Javier nodded in agreement. Both partners had noticed the little changes between the two, Lanie even called him and told him that when they visited her, the two were acting different.

A ringing phone pulled them back to focus.

"Hey honey," Kevin answered his phone.

* * *

><p><strong>Woodhaven – 13:58pm - Suspect's House<strong>

Kate pulled her car up behind Javier's, on the street in front of the suspect's house. She could see the boys hopping out of the car and walking around to the trunk, popping it open to retrieve their gear.

She and Rick got out of the car and walked around to her trunk to do the same. She reached in and grabbed the vest, passing Rick's to him. The two of them went through the same procedure they always did when they were entering a suspects premises.

The two male detectives walked around the car and towards them, both had their vest on and holding their weapons. Javier has a black pump-action shotgun in hand; Kevin has a black M14 assault rifle. Both men were armed and loaded.

Kate made sure her vest was secure before she turned her eyes on her partner. She disliked it when Rick went into buildings un-harmed; he knew how to use a gun. She had seen that more times than one. She was curious to how well he carried a gun, how well he knew how to shoot.

"You ready?" she asked him.

Rick nodded, turning his attention towards the house. It looked like a normal house located on a normal suburban street. Which didn't shock the writer; most killers lived in normal neighbours so they could blend in.

Kate turned her attention towards the male detectives. "You two go around back and we'll go around front," she ordered them.

Both men nodded before heading off towards the house.

* * *

><p><strong>Inside<strong>

The female detective entered the house cautiously, her partner behind her. This guy had run down a teenager in cold blood, who knew what he was capable of.

"Stay back, okay Castle." She whispered.

The writer nodded his head, he knew the drill.

Kate had her glock raised and quietly began searching the bottom floor; her eyes looking around the room. This room led off to a few others, the lounge area to the left and kitchen to the right. Her eyes looked at the stairs that led up to the second floor.

The brunette heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She slowly began making her way towards it when she saw movement coming from in the kitchen. She kept her gun aimed high; her finger was off the trigger as she moved closer towards the doorway. A few seconds later Javier appeared in the doorway, followed by his partner.

Kate let out a breath of relief as the two male detectives entered the room. She gestured with her head towards the stairs.

Both men nodded and headed in the direction of the stairs. She watched as the two quietly began making their way up before she headed for the lounge area to continue her sweep of the bottom floor.

Rick headed into the kitchen, the opposite direction from the detective. He figured it was safe since the boys had come from there. The writer let his eyes drift around the room, taking it all in. There was a door that led to the back yard, the door which the two male detectives entered through. The kitchen was really clean, which was odd for a male uni student that lived on his own.

Rick entered further into the room, spotting another door. It looked too big to belong to a walk-in-pantry. He was curious so he walked towards it, the door most likely led down to the basement or laundry. Houses like this are designed for them.

As Rick reached the door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his black leathered gloves. He slid them on before reaching for the handle, giving it a jiggle. The door was locked, which the writer found odd. Why lock the door?

He looked around the room, noticing that he was still alone. Rick reached into his coat and pulled his lock pick from the pocket inside his coat. Norman had told him once he had taught him the trade 'never to leave home without it, you never know when it will come in handy'.

Rick got to work picking the lock, his mind running wild with ideas of what could be behind the door.

"Castle, where did you learn to pick a lock?" she questioned.

Rick jumped, dropping his pick on the ground. He picked it up as he turned around to face his partner.

"Norman Jessup," he replied, casually. Rick turned his attention back to the door, reaching for the handle.

Kate glared at him. "You still talk to him?" she asked, surprised. The female detective walked towards the writer.

Rick turned and nodded. "We're facebook friends," he shared before turning his attention to the door.

"Rick ... wait," she called out.

The writer kept his hand on the doorknob, turning his attention around and looking at his partner who was now standing just to the side of him. She raised her gun towards the door and nodded.

Rick turned his attention back towards the door and turned the handle, opening the door. He moved aside, letting Kate go before him.

* * *

><p><strong>Basement <strong>

The basement was engulfed in darkness. Kate kept her gun raised as she took one step down at a time, she disliked the dark.

A moment later the basement filled with light.

The female detective froze in her spot. Now that the area was lit up, she could see where she was. Kate looked down the stairs; she couldn't see anyone in sight. She turned her head and looked up at the writer. He was standing on the top step, looking down at her.

"Found the light," Rick told her, pointing to the switch.

Kate rolled her eyes, turning her attention back towards the bottom of the stairs. She continued to walk down them, her gun aimed.

Reaching the floor, the female detective allowed her eyes to drift around the room. She heard Rick coming down the stairs behind her. Kate noticed four freezers to the far right of the room, they were turned on. She could hear the soft humming coming from them.

"Oh my god," she heard the writer mumbled as he walked passed her. Kate followed him with her eyes and that's when she spotted what he saw.

She gasped, letting her free hand cover her mouth in stun. Along the back wall was covered in surveillance photos. The detective and the writer walked closer to the wall, absorbing in the pictures.

There were four different girls in the photos. All of the photos were time and date stamped at the bottom. The photos were in no particular order. The four girls could all be sisters; all four girls had strawberry blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, all four girls range from seventeen to at-least twenty.

"That's Molly," Rick spoke up, pointing at one of the picture on the wall.

"Yo Beckett, you down here?" Javier's voice called from the top.

"Yeah," she managed. "It's clear but you two should come down here," she told them.

Kate turned her gaze on the writer; this couldn't be easy for him.

Samson had targeted these girls, stalked them. The question is 'Where are the other three girls now'. She read the dates at the bottom of the photographs; they went back to August 2008.

They heard the two male detectives walk down the stairs, reaching the bottom.

"How did you two get down here?" Kevin questioned as he walked across the floor to them.

"Yeah, the door was locked when we checked the kitchen." Javier added, following his partner.

The two stopped walking when they saw the photo wall.

"That's creepy," Kevin spoke up.

Kate couldn't get the humming of the freezers out of her head. She turned her attention from the photo wall and looked at them. There were four freezers, one looked the newest.

"I see Molly, but who are the three other girls?" Kevin asked, curiously.

Kate began walking towards the freezers, she couldn't shake this feeling from inside her.

"Kate?" Rick questioned. He watched his partner walking hesitantly towards the freezers, that's when it hit him. There were four freezers and four different girls. Samson worked with ice cream which you keep cold if you don't want it to melt.

Rick began making his way towards his partner, hoping to high heaven that his theory was wrong. He knew Kate was thinking the exact same thing.

Kate stopped in front of the first freezer. She placed her glove clad hand on the handle and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in and holding in for a moment before she released it. She reopened her eyes and the door at the same time. A gasp escaped her lips as she looked inside of the freezer, taking a step back and into the writer's arms.

Rick was standing behind Kate when she opened the freezer door. He was just as shocked as her when they saw one of the teenager girls inside. She was frozen and her pale skin was bruised. When he saw Kate backing towards him, Rick opened his arms and allowed her in, wrapping his arms around her.

Kate felt his arms secure her like a blanket. She was stunned and felt the tears slip from her eyes and roll down her check. The teenage girl's crystal blue eyes were staring back at her.

She was the girl in the photos that were time stamped 2008.

Javier and Kevin walked passed their boss and the writer and towards the remaining three freezers, they both picked a freezer each. The closest ones to Kate's, knowing the last one would be empty because Molly was back at the morgue.

The male detectives opened their freezer doors at the same time, revealing the other two girls in the photos. Both male detectives' eyes widened and filled with horror, dropping their heads.

Kate let her eyes take in the entire three girls that were frozen, all three victims had the type of bruising and all three had their crystal blue's open. A few seconds later, she felt Rick detached his arms from around and walked away. The brunette's gaze followed the writer as he started climbing the stairs.

"Call it in," she ordered the boys before taking off towards the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Suspect's Backyard – 14:16pm<strong>

Rick was standing in the backyard, trying to shut out the images of those girls from his mind. He was finding breathing difficult. The air just didn't seem to be making it into his lungs. He had just seen four dead Alexis's, stored like trophies in those freezers. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing, he didn't want to stop them.

"Rick," Kate whispered as she walked towards him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked, apprehensively.

The writer turned around, fixing his eyes on her. He could feel the air reaching his lungs again but couldn't get those girls from his mind. He tried focusing his attention on the beautiful woman standing opposite of him. Her eyes were filled with the same sadness and heartache as his, she had experienced loss before.

Kate knew she should have talked him out of coming to the house. They had no idea that this is what they would find though, how was she to know that they would find those girls here? They didn't even know about the girls?

The brunette enclosed the small distance between them and raised her hand to his cheek, wiping the few silent tears that were slipping from his eyes. It broke her heart to see the writer in pain, to see him hurting like this.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she softly whispered. Her hand was still resting on his check, tears spilling over her fingers like this morning in her apartment.

"They're not Alexis, Rick." She assured him. "She is at Stanford under watchful eye," she reminded him.

"They were somebody's daughters, somebody's sisters." He told her as more silent tears flowed. "Somebody's world," he added with pain evident in his voice.

Kate felt her own tears falling freely.

Rick didn't mean to make her cry, he pulled her close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, brushing the tears from her face. "Please don't cry," he pleaded, their faces were inches apart.

Kate let a few sobs slip. She tried gaining control over her emotions but so many where charging at her all at once. Her eyes were locked on his and all she could think about was kissing him. She could still feel his hand on her cheek. Kate was tired of holding back and being safe. She dropped her gaze to his lips for a few seconds before looking back into his sad eyes.

Rick was temporally stunned when he felt her lips crash against his. It only lasted for a few seconds until he responded to the kiss, kissing her back. Her tongue ran across his lips begging for entry, which he granted. He opened his mouth, feeling her tongue slide in and deepening the kiss. Their tongues danced a tango as he could feel her pouring everything that she was into the kiss. Rick's hands shifted to her waist, encircling it and pulling her as humanly close as possible.

A moan escaped the female detective's lips as her arms circled around and looping behind his neck. The two partners continued to pour everything they were feeling into the long passionate kiss.

"CSU is on their way-" Kevin's began before the words died in his mouth.

Kate and Rick pulled apart at the sound of Kevin's voice, both turning towards the male detective.

He had a stunned grin on his face. "Sorry to interrupt ... um ... continue on ..." he mumbled heading back into the house.

The two stood frozen in their spots, either unsure of what to say. Kate cleared her throat and turned her attention toward her partner, she opened her mouth to speak.

Rick's phone began ringing. He had his eyes on Kate but he knew that personalized ringtone. The writer retrieved his phone from his pocket and brought it to his ear.

"Hey pump-" he began before being cut off.

"Dad, someone is following Ashley and me." Alexis's frantic voice followed through the phone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Dun Dun Dun ... How cruel am I?**

**Reviews are appreciated**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle**

**A/N**

**Thank-you for the reviews on FB, twitter and FF.**

**Okay so some of the reviews have conflicts with the last chapter. I used the word 'Mate' because that is my Aussie humour coming out, I know we don't use it all the time. Also I like to incorporate Aussie into my stories, which is why I added the Aussie cop. He is an army brat, so I figured he would have duel citizen ship. **

**Hopefully this chapter will clear some of the questions from the last one.**

**CHAPTER SIX**

**Suspect's Backyard - 14:20pm**

**CHAPTER SIX**

**Suspect's Backyard - 14:20pm**

Rick's mind was still reeling from the lip lock with his beautiful partner. His daughter's panicked voice pulling all thoughts and fantasy back to reality.

"What do you mean someone is following you?" he questioned, slightly freaking out. The writer turned to face his partner. She was touching her lips but her eyes locked on his.

How could someone get that close to his daughter? Where was Shane?

"Are you sure-" Rick begins before being interrupted.

Alexis's voice came back rushed, like she walking very fast. "He followed us from Ashley's dorm, to the cafe. Then from the cafe to the bookstore, we're heading back to the dorm and he is still following us ... Stop telling me that I am paranoid, Ash!"

Rick knew he had to stay calm. "Can you describe him to me?" he asked his daughter.

Thirty seconds passed before his daughter responded.

"Around your age, good looking, built like a tank ... black hair, blue eyes-" Alexis began describing her stalker.

Rick breathed in relief. "That's Shane, you're security-" he began explaining.

"Why do I need security, Dad? What's going on?" his daughter demanded.

Rick didn't want to worry his little girl. She was visiting her boyfriend she rarely got to see. He also didn't like lying to her, stretching the truth on the other hand.

He signed. "Tough case, just being my paranoid self being over cautions... I'll let Shane know you're onto him," he tells her.

"I'll do it myself," Alexis informs her father before hanging up.

Rick was slightly stunned, closing his phone and turning his attention to his goddess of a partner.

Kate hadn't moved from her spot. She was worried about Alexis and from the conversation she was listening to. She had good reason to worry. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the kiss they had just shared and she couldn't help but smile.

"Kate," Rick called.

Kate turned her attention to the writer, locking her eyes on his and managing a nod.

"I have to make another call. But we need to talk about what just happened," he tells her.

Kate just nodded before heading back into the house. She was speechless, Rick friggin Castle made her speechless.

**California – 11:20am – Street**

Shane turned back around the corner when the blue eyed teenager looked in his direction. She was on the phone and looked to be having a heated conversation while yelling at her boyfriend. He gave it thirty seconds before heading back around the corner, accidentally running into somebody.

"I'm sorr-" Shane began before lifting his blue orbs and locking them on the redheaded teenager.

She was standing opposite him, arms folded and an annoyed look on her face.

"Word of advice, if you're going to follow someone. DON'T GET CAUGHT!" Alexis flat-out told him.

Shane crossed his arms, mirroring the teenager. "You are your father's daughter," he tells her, smiling.

Alexis looked at him suspicious. "Thank-you, I think."

Shane was grinning. "Oh trust me, it is a compliment." He told her, honestly.

Rick had saved his life more times than one when they were serving together. If it wasn't for the solider turned writer, he wouldn't be standing here today.

Alexis turned to Ashley, who was now standing by her side. "Told you I wasn't paranoid."

Ashley folded his arms, rolling his eyes.

**Suspect's Backyard – 14:25pm**

Rick waited until his partner was out of eyesight and back in the house before scrolling through his contacts until he spotted the desired number, hitting dial and waiting for it to connect.

"Hey Shane, Alexis spotted you -"Rick begins to tell his friend.

"Yeah I know buddy. She is standing across from me, gloating." He informs his friend. "This girl is definitely yours, no question about it."

Rick chuckled. "Never doubted it, she doesn't know about my marine days so -"

"Understood ... we'll talk soon," Shane promised.

Rick knew he could rely on his long-time friend. The two had literally been to hell and back, knowing each other since they were both eighteen.

"Semper Fi, buddy." Rick ended the call.

The writer closed his phone and looked down at it for a moment before heading back to the house.

**Inside House – 14:31pm**

Kate knew it was wrong to ears drop but she was curious to why he was being so secretive. The brunette was stunned with the half of the conversation that she had heard of Rick's end. Kate was gobsmacked when she heard the mention of his Marine years. There was nothing about that on any of his websites, why hadn't he ever mentioned that? That is something definitely worth bragging about.

When the female detective heard the closing of his phone, she headed in the direction of the basement. She stood at the top of the stairs when she heard Rick coming in her direction.

"Castle and I are heading back to the 12th, you two wait for CSU and M.E's." She called from the top step, down to her team mates.

Rick stopped opposite of his partner as she finished shouting from the top of the stairs down to the male detectives. She turned her eyes on him and he flashed back to the kiss only several minutes ago.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile. That was all he could think to say, this woman standing opposite from him, managed to turn him speechless. Damn you Kate Beckett.

She locked her eyes on his, flashes of their intimate embrace flashed before her eyes.

"Hey," she responded, a few more seconds passing. "Let's go," she told him, heading towards the front door.

**Car Scene – 14:35pm**

Kate had been driving for a few minutes now. As soon as they had gotten into the car a few minutes ago, she had put out an APB on the suspect. Samson Preston.

"_This town is colder now; I think it's sick of us. It's time to make our move. I'm shaking off the rust. I've got my heart set on anywhere but here. I'm staring down myself, counting up the years. Steady hands, just take the wheel... And every glance is killing me. Time to make one last appeal... for the life I lead."_

Rick knew they had to talk about the kiss. He could still feel her lips on his; hear her moan in his ears. She wasn't even looking at him at the moment and she still managed to drive him insane.

"_Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go nowhere. Yeah I know that everyone gets scared. But I've become what I can't be, oh ... Stop and stare. You start to wonder why you're here not there and you'd give anything to get what's fair. But fair ain't what you really need. Oh, can you see what I see."_

Silence had engulfed the car and the writer couldn't take it anymore.

"Kate -" Rick begins before being interrupted.

Kate pulled the car over to the side of the road. She knew she shouldn't be driving for this conversation.

"We were comforting one another Rick," she cuts in. Her eyes fixed on the road ahead because if she looked into his eyes, she would be lost.

"_They're trying to come back, all my senses push. Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could... Steady feet, don't fail me now. Imma run till you can't walk. Something pulls my focus out and I'm standing down..."_

Rick had his eyes locked on her. She was looking away, why won't she look at him. Is that what that kiss had meant to her? Comforting?

"_Stop and stare. I think I'm moving but I go nowhere. Yeah I know that everyone gets scared. But I've become what I can't be, oh... Stop and stare. You start to wonder why you're here not there and you'd give anything to get what's fair. But fair ain't what you really need... Oh, you don't need."_

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. She was using every ounce of will power that she had in her, not to turn in his direction and look into those stormy blues.

"_What you need, what you need..."_

"Comforting," Rick finally answered. Was she really going to deny what she felt? Was she really going to run from this?

"_Stop and stare. I think I'm moving but I go nowhere. Yeah I know that everyone gets scared. But I've become what I can't be. Oh, do you see what I see..." _the song faded out.

Silence once again engulfed the car, and another song from the radio began to play.

**Suspect's Basement – 14:45pm**

Lanie reached the top of the stairs and began making her way down with her M.E case in hand. She had ridden in the first M.E van, with two following behind. She was on-route to the crime scene when she had received a text message from her Latin lover, informing her that her girl and writer monkey had locked lips.

"Where is she?" Lanie demanded as she reached the bottom of the stairs, looking around the basement floor. She couldn't spot her bestfreind or the writer, anywhere. She made her way across the cemented floor in the direction of her boyfriend, who was standing in front of the middle freezer. All three were closed at the moment, she knew what was inside. She had been told when this crime scene was called in.

"They're not here, Chica." Javier told his girl. "They headed back to the 12th, ten minutes ago."

Lanie dropped her case by her feet, crossing her arms annoyed. The dark skinned woman let out a sigh before reaching into her pockets and pulling out a pair of gloves, slipping them on.

"Okay, let's get started." She told the boys.

**12****th**** Precinct -14:51pm – Break Room**

Kate and Rick walked across the pen, towards the break room when they spotted the Captain. She was standing in the doorway, arms folded and a serious expression on her face.

"Oh shit," Kate mumbled under her breath, reaching from Rick's arm and clutching it for support. Causing the writer to stop and turn to her, he saw the panicked look on her face.

Victoria turned around, locking eyes on the partners. Her face set in stone.

"What did I say about this not being a babysitting service, Detective?" her voice powered through the floor.

Eyes turned in their direction.

"Totally-" Rick began apologizing before being interrupted.

"Sorry Captain, Ri-Castle is taking him back to my apartment now," Kate informed her boss. The truth was Kate needed some time to sort her head. She finally turned her eyes onto his as she removed her keys from her back pocket.

"Please stay with Tray, until I get home." She told him as she removed her apartment key from the rest and handed it to him.

Rick saw the emotion in her eyes. She was fighting her feelings as she stood opposite him. He reached for the key, their fingers brushing only for a moment as the key exchanged hands.

"Okay," he agreed.

Their eyes still locked on one another.

Victoria was watching the pair with curiosity. She had heard the rumours surrounding the bullpen, knew about the pools going around. But to actually see what every other person that entered this precinct saw - was indescribable.

"Okay," she spoke up.

Kate turned her focus from her partner and fixed it on her boss.

"You have a meeting with the high school at three right?" Victoria questioned.

Kate dropped her gaze to her father's watch, nodding her head rapidly. "Yeah, wow is that the time?" she said.

The brunette walked past the Captain, popping her head into the room.

Trayvon was sitting on the same chair as earlier, a half empty container in front of him. At-least he had eaten something.

"Trayvon, I am heading to your school for an appointment with your principal." She told the teen, getting his attention. He lifted his eyes from the novel he was reading and looked up at her.

"Castle is taking you back to my apartment, behave!" she warned him.

Trayvon mocked saluted her.

"Не провоцируйте его," (Don't push it.) She mumbled in Russian.

Rick entered the room, walking passed his partner and towards the teenager.

**Flatbush High School – 15:05pm – Admin office**

Kate knew she was running late as she ran into the administration office, a little out of breath. She placed her hands on the counter, receiving an odd look from the woman standing behind it.

"Kate Beckett ... I have appointment ... Principal Mickle -"Kate managed, trying to regain her normal breathing pattern.

"Miss Beckett," A male voice called from behind her.

The female detective turned around and looked at the older man standing in the doorway of the Principal's officer. He was at-least in his mid forties, balding on top.

"This way," he told her.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, nodding.

**Principal's Office**

"You're late Miss Beckett," Principal Mickle told her as she walked passed him. He closed the door behind her, noticing that she was wearing her service piece and a badge.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't know why but every time she was in the principal's office, it made her nervous.

"Sorry I was chasing down a suspect," she apologized. And making out with my partner, she slightly thought.

"You're a detective, Right? Deloris told me that you work for the 12th." He informed her, walking around to his desk and taking a seat.

"Please take a seat," he told her.

Kate nodded, sitting down opposite to him. "Yes, I am a homicide detective for the 12th Precinct." She told him, straightforward.

He leaned back in his chair, as if he was studying her. "Why take a teenager into your already busy scheduled?" he questioned, curiously.

Kate was building a profile of this guy in her head, trying to work him out.

"Because Trayvon is family," she told him, simply.

Anthony looked at her perplexed. Look Miss Beckett..."

"Kate," she cut in.

He nodded. "Kate, I have seen hundreds of kids like Trayvon over the years. Why do you care so much?" he asked.

Kate looked at the older man like he had just punched her in the gut. She was stunned by the question. Was he serious?

"Because someone has too!" She told him, standing up. "He is a great kid who has had so much crap handed to him in the last few years. He lost both of his parents and his grandmother is losing her memory." She shouts at the older man.

He was looking at her amused, which just pissed Kate off more.

"It is people like you that cause kids to slip between the cracks-" Kate begins to accuse him.

"Every kid gets bullied. Skipping school is no cause for that. He should have come to us," the principal told her, flat-out.

_He was getting bullied? What?_

"Bullied? About what?" she asks, stunned.

Anthony sat up straight in his chair, lacing his fingers together. "You didn't know?" he asked, curious.

She just shook her head. Words were still forming in her mind.

"I've heard whispers recently that a few students who are frequent flyers in my office and detention, have been picking on him. Said students are at the moment, suspended." He informed Kate.

_Why hadn't Trayvon told her about this? He used to talk to her about school all the time? This past year was when he had stopped, was this why?_

"What were they saying?" she asked, needing to know.

"Stupid things," he began. "No Hope, Orphan. Stupid little things," he told her.

Kate was stunned. Poor Trayvon. How could somebody say cruel, hurtful things like that? People might not realize this, but words cut deep.

"Stupid things?" she whispered, shaking her head and biting down on her bottom lip. She placed her hands on her hips, taking a deep breath to gain control over her emotions.

"Emotional abuse is like a poison. And not the type that kills you fast. It's like the slow type, it gets into your system, hangs around for a bit before all your walls come crashing down around you and you cannot breathe." Kate begins to tell the older man.

"Living becomes too much and you just wanna let go. Emotional abuse is the kind that leaves scares that you cannot see, that nobody can see. But just because the scars are not visible to the human eye, that doesn't mean that they don't hurt, that they don't cut deep." She told him, her voice thick with emotion.

"Emotional abuse kills slowly," She informed him. "And if you cannot see that, I don't think I want Trayvon attending his last year of high school here."

He was speechless.

"Now I have a killer to catch!" She told him as she turned towards the door, stopping at it and turning around. "I'll be in touch," she told him before walking out of the room.

**Kate's Apartment – 15:11pm – Lounge Area**

Rick always loved coming to her apartment. It gave him the chance to learn more about her, every single time. He loved everything about this place. He loved how if he sat on the couch, he could see her entire kitchen. The kitchen had an old fashioned look to it, with the wooden cupboards mixed in with a stainless steel double door fridge and freezer. Behind the oven and sink area were stone stairs that travelled up to a small landing that was covered in novels at the moment. There was a large window above the landing. It had a rustic verse retro look to it.

He turned back around and his eyes fixed on her book case that was built into the wall. He walked over towards it and his eyes fixed on his entire collection of novels. A smile tugging at his lips, he knew she was a major fan of his writing. He remembers that morning. Deloris had told him that, years ago he had signed a novel for her. The writer was still searching his memory bank for that day.

Trayvon was in Kate's guest bedroom, unpacking his duffle bags. The few times that Rick had spent the night here, he always slept on the couch. He liked the couch, it was comfortable.

Rick noticed that one of his novels was missing from the Derek Storm collection. Storm's Break wasn't there, that novel came out in 2005.

Where was the missing novel?

Trayvon walked back into the lounge area, passing the writer and heading towards the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge. He noticed Rick had a puzzled look on his face and was staring at his set of novels, confused.

The teenager had lied earlier, when Rick had asked him at the Deli if he had read his stuff. He had. Kate had gotten him into the novels, five years ago. He had borrowed every one of his grandmothers. Trayvon was still reading the latest one that had been released, recently.

"Looking for something?" The teenager enquired.

Rick turned around, looking at the teenager. When had he walked passed him?

"No," he lied.

Trayvon knew exactly where the novel was, the one the writer was looking for. He had caught a glimpse of it on Kate's nightstand as he walked passed her room on the way to his own temporary room.

**12****th**** Precinct – 15:25pm – Bullpen**

Kate made her way towards her desk. So many emotions were fuelling through her at the moment. Thank-god she had a case to focus on, pool all her energy into. She knew Trayvon would be alright with Rick for a few hours. As the female detective approached her desk, she spotted Lanie sitting in her chair.

Oh crap, she silently thought.

Kate bit down harder on her lip the closer she got to her desk, stopping just before it.

"Hey Lanie," she greeted her friend, casually.

Lanie didn't look impressed. "Don't 'Hey' me girl, were you going to tell me that you locked lips with writer boy?" Lanie questioned as she stood up, hand on hip and tapping her foot on the ground.

Kate began removing her jacket and hanging it over her chair. She was avoiding eye contact with her friend.

"Lanie, this isn't the time. I now have four murders to solve... speaking of which." The brunette finally raised her gaze and looked at her friend. "I need you to keep me updated on those three dead girls."

Kate turned her attention towards her team mates. The two male detectives were looking in her direction, ears dropping on the conversation.

"Miranda and Carey ... Have someone from missing persons ..." she began before being cut off.

"Pull the missing person files for teenage girls that disappeared around the time on the photos," Javier began, grinning at her.

"Then cross match all missing teenage girls and look for victims from the photos," Kevin finished as the two held up files. "Just got them," he told her.

Kate was surprised the two were actually doing their job and not seeing who won the pool for the first kiss between her and Rick, yeah she knew about it.

The two male detectives stood up and walked towards her with the files in hand.

"What about the ice-cream -" she began to ask.

"Truck, the one Sam drove. Yeah I asked the company about that. Apparently it is in the shop because it broke down this morning near Queensbridge Park," the Hispanic detective informed her, placing folders in her hand.

"We're heading to the garage now to check on the truck," Kevin finished, dumping his folders in her hand.

Kate just nodded. The two male detectives walked off.

She felt the weight of the folders on her arms.

"Speaking of writer-boy ... where is he?" Lanie questioned.

Kate dropped her eyes to the pile of missing person files. It amazed her how many teenager girls were missing within the four years. What their families must be going through?

"Uh, at my apartment, babysitting Tray." She told her friend, distracted.

"Kate," Lanie spoke up.

Kate sighed, lifting her gaze from the folders in her hand and locking her eyes on her friend.

"Look Lanie, we will talk about this but not now. Those girls on your tables need names, their families need closure. Please just let me solve this. Then we can talk," she told her.

The M.E sighed and nodded.

**Kate's Apartment – 15:30pm**

Trayvon re-entered the lounge area. Rick was sitting on the couch. He had his phone out and looked to be typing something into it. Trayvon casually walked towards the coffee table opposite from the writer and placed the novel on it. He then walked back towards his room.

Rick stopped typing and his gaze dropped towards the novel sitting on the table in front of him. It was the missing novel, Storm's Break. Where had he found it? Rick stared at the novel for a long minute. It was like it was mocking him. He couldn't take it anymore. Rick launched forwards and scooped it up in his hands.

It felt wrong, like he was about to betray his partners trust by looking inside of it. The novelist in him, needed to know what it said. He caved and began to turn the cover. His eyes looking at the page he wrote on, his eyes running along the words. A past memory hit him, like train colliding into a wall.

_**8**__**th**__** August 2005 - Bookstore**_

_Rick was sitting behind the table, signing books and breast, it seemed more breast than books. Which got him to thinking. Did any of these women and that one guy, actually read his work?_

_A book was placed under his nose. The writer dropped his gaze to his current novel and asked automatically."Name?"_

"_Katherine," this sweet voice answered back. _

_The writer lifted his gaze and looked at the young woman standing in front of him. She would have to be in her mid twenties. And beautiful didn't even describe this woman. Her hazel-brown long hair was down, hitting mid back. It framed her soft olive complexion, perfectly. It was her eyes that attracted him to her the most, she was breathtaking. _

_He smiled at her. "Hi Katherine, what did you like about the novel?" he asked her._

_She bit down on her bottom lip before responding. _

"_I haven't had the chance to read it yet, because of work. But if it is like all of your other masterpieces, I know I will be captured in the storyline within the first few pages." She began. "The detail and emotion you write into your work is amazing. I have read a lot of novels but yours -" she smiled. "They feel more real, then fiction."_

_He was temporarily stunned. Rick had not expected that for the response. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about his work, hypnotic. He dropped his gaze from her and to the novel she had placed in front of him. He wrote something before handing the novel back to her. _

_The brunette dropped her hazel-green orbs down to the page and softly read the words left by the writer. _

_**Katherine, a beautiful woman with such sad eyes. You should smile more, because you never know who is falling in love with you. The world needs more beautiful smiles like yours.**_

_**Rick**_

"_Thank-you," she softly smiled at him, closing her novel and holding it tightly to her chest as she turned and walked away. _

_Rick watched her go. "It's good advice," he called out after her, grinning._

_Someone cleared their throat and he turned his attention to the big breasted woman in front of him. _

"_Name?" he asked. The brunette still on his mind. _

**A/N: I hope that cleared up a few questions people had. And I know the Caskett conversation didn't go as you were all probably hoping, bust trust me. It will get there and I don't want to rush head first into it.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own Castle, sucks I know. But that doesn't mean I can't play with them. *Pulls out Kate and Rick Voodoo dolls and makes them kiss***

**A/N: Thank-you for the reviews on FF, facebook and twitter. **

**This chapter is very case related with a bit of Caskett thrown in. **

**Beta-d by Teelduo**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**12****th**** Precinct – 15:51pm - Bullpen**

For the last twenty odd minutes, the brunette detective had been combing through the missing persons files. She had found two of the victims from the freezers in the basement, so far. Kate was still stunned that they had found those three teenagers like that, and Molly would have been the forth. Stored away like a trophy if the killers ice-cream truck hadn't broken down, they might have never found them.

Kate's eyes flicked from missing person picture to missing person, as her eyes absorbed in the teenage girls. She felt sad. She was staring at complete strangers but yet, they were somebody's world as Rick had told her. She could never imagine the loss of a child. It was probably close to how she felt when she lost her mother, the feeling of her heart being ripped from her chest.

She let a few tears slip as her mind drifted back to Rick and the conversation they had in the car.

Comforting! Why did she say that? She knew that kiss was so much more than him comforting her. She was scared, that's why she said it. Would it be so wrong if she wanted Rick to be her boyfriend, what a weird term? Boyfriend? No partner. That was how she saw Rick. He was her partner, in every sense of the word. He was someone she could always count on. Sure they have had their share of rough patches. What partnership doesn't?

The main thing was, they always seem to mend what was fractured. That had to be a sign that they were meant for one another. Right?

Kate wasn't stupid. She didn't forget that there was still someone out there wanting her dead. And that scared the hell out of her, it was the reason she was holding back with Rick. It was the reason that she almost didn't agree to having Trayvon live with her, she didn't want to put the teenager's life in danger. But she also couldn't put him in foster care; she couldn't do that to his father.

**Cool Mechanics - 15:55pm**

The two male detectives entered the reception area of the garage. It was nice. Their attention was drawn to the receptionist behind the front desk. She had to be early twenties. The young woman was wearing a tight top and short skirt, her long brunette's hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She was wearing gold hoop hearings and chewing a piece of gum. She looked Italian.

The two male detectives stopped in front of the desk and smiled at the girl.

"Can I help you," she asked, batting her eyes. She had a Brooklyn accent.

The male detectives pulled their badge and showed her. The smile was wiped from her face and she gulped.

"Detective Javier Esposito and my partner Detective Kevin Ryan," the Hispanic detective introduced them.

The twenty-two year old receptionist dropped her brown eyes to the badges before looking back up at the detectives. Kevin had a small kit his left hand, it looked like a tackle box but it didn't have finishing gear in it.

"How can I help you, detectives?" she asked, forcing a smile.

The two partners looked at one another, that was kinda odd.

"We're looking for an ice-cream truck?" Kevin spoke up.

The girl looked at them, clueless for a moment. "Oh ... we have one of those," she told them. "Came in this morning," Chloe added.

The two detectives shared a look before turning back to the reception.

"Can we see it?" Javier asked.

She smiled at them. "Of course ... you mean now?" she asked, serious.

Both detectives nodded.

"Okay," Chloe replied as she stood up from her desk and walked around it, heading towards a door that led out back to the garage. She turned and looked at the two male detectives.

"This way," she told them.

The two held back smirks as they followed Miss Thing out back, walking through the door and entering the garage section. There were several vehicles being worked on at the moment, a few in the air and others on the ground.

Javier's eyes searched the room for the truck. He spotted it being lifted into the hair on one of those platforms that rose from the ground. He whacked his partner's shoulder to get attention before running towards the ice-cream truck.

Both detectives pulled out their badges and flashed them at a mechanic that was controlling the switch to the platform.

"Lower the truck," Kevin ordered.

The guy in his late twenties and blue work overall's glanced at the badge before doing as ordered.

"Yo, what's your problem?" he asked

Both male Detectives faces turned stone serious.

"This vehicle is evidence in a murder investigation!" Javier informed the mechanic.

The garage fell quiet as the two detectives stopped in front of the ice-cream truck that was now sitting on the ground. The front of the truck had a dent in it, something had defiantly hit it.

Kevin and Javier both pulled on a pair of gloves from their pockets and began putting them on. Kevin placed the kit on the ground as he slid his gloves on.

All eyes were on the two Detectives.

The Irish Detective got on bended knee and opened the kit, retrieving a small bottle of clear liquid and a black light. He stood up and sprayed the dented front of the truck with the luminal fluid. He then ran the light over the sprayed sectioned and glowed, indicating contact with blood.

"I think we found the murder weapon," Kevin said to his partner, looking up at him.

One of the mechanics with long dirty blonde hair, who was standing beside the Hispanic detective, folded his arms and shook his head.

"No way! That sucks man," he spoke like a stoner.

**12****th**** Precinct – 16:01pm – Bullpen**

Kate had finally found the last victim from the wall back at the suspect's house, letting out a sigh. She stacked the three files on top of one another before returning the rest of the files of the missing teenage girls from the last four years and placing them to the side. She opened the file of each girl and removed their missing person's photo from the file, standing up she walked towards the murder board.

Kate tapped the girls photo's to the board, under **Victim. **There were now four pictures on the board, all four females could be sisters. The strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, with peach skin, all four young girls were beauties.

The female detective began writing their names beside their photograph when her phone began to ring. She scooped it off her desk and answered while continuing to write the name under the pictures.

"Beckett?" she answered on auto-polite.

She waited from the response from her team mates. Kate had seen the caller ID before answering.

"Hey Beckett, we found the truck and it has traces of blood on it. Along with a big dent in the front, this is definitely the murder weapon. Just called CSU, they're on their way. Uniforms are here and will wait for CSU. Ryan and I are about to head back now, Javier told his boss.

Kate listened as she wrote the last name and age of the girl when she was last seen, before capping the lid on the pen. The brunette had glanced at the names before removing their photos from their files.

"Did they give you a contact number from Sam, they would need to reach him when they fixed the van?" she asked, hopefully.

She waited and listens as Javier asked some guy. Her eyes were fixed on the four photos of the teenage girls in front of her.

"No, just the number for work, since they would be footing the bill," he told her.

She let out a sigh. "Okay, I'll see you both when you get back." She replied before hanging up, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

She saw the girls in the freezers, three sets of crystal blue eyes staring back at her. Kate shot her eyes opened and looked down at her phone. She hit speed-dial 2 and listened to the dial tone, waiting for a response.

She bit the inside of her cheek until she finally heard his voice.

"Kate?" he asked like silk velvet.

A smile tugged at her lips, hearing him say her first name. He didn't do it often, but when he did. She couldn't help but smile.

"Kate?" he asked again, a little worried.

Kate realised that she hadn't answered him yet. She knew if she didn't say something soon he would worry and most likely come to the precinct, which she wasn't sure if she was ready to see him again.

"Hey," she finally answered, feeling like a complete idiot. Since when did a simple phone call with her partner make her heart race? She had to a grip over her emotions.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned evident in his voice.

A smile broke free onto her lips. It was sweet the way he worried about her.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see how you two are doing," she told him.

It wasn't a complete lie. She was concerned if the two were getting along. But the main reason was. She missed the sound of his voice. It was strange working a case without him sitting across from her. He had become a constant in her life and when Rick wasn't around. She found herself missing him, more and more.

"Good, he makes an appearance every ten minutes." Rick told her. She could picture him lying on her couch, smiling as he talked to her.

"How's the case coming?" he asks.

She was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of his voice again. She was surprised that he wanted to talk about the case and not other stuff. Pushing all thoughts of the kiss from her mind and focusing on the facts in front of her.

**Kate's Apartment**

The writer was lying down on her couch, staring at a photo. He had borrowed it from the bookcase. It was a group photo of them all at the old haunt, the night he had bought it and they were drinking in its honour. Roy was even in the photo. Rick had got the waitress to take the picture. Kate was sitting beside him and Lanie was on her other side, the boys and Roy opposite from them.

"The boys just called, they found the ice-cream truck. It was dented in the front and had traces of blood on it." She told him, her voice flowing naturally over the phone.

A moment of silence passed between the two.

"What about the three girls we found at Sam's house?" he asked. Their frozen faces still burned into his brain.

"I just found their Identities by combing through -" she began explaining.

"Missing Person files from the last four years of teenage girls in the area, separating all girls with red hair and blue eyes from the mix, and then matching the dates they went missing to the dates on photos from the stalker wall." Rick finished.

"Yeah," she answered back. He could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Wanna guess their names too?" she playful teased.

Rick grinned, letting out a chuckle. "I'm not that good. How about you tell me?"

He heard her laugh through the phone and his heart skipped a beat. He loved hearing her laugh. It might sound creepy but he wished he could bottle it. It might cure cancer one day, he believed.

"The first girl that was killed was Taylor Johnson, 17 years of age. She went missing on the 8th of October in 2008 and was last seen walking home from school. Taylor was the only child of a single father, her father was a banker. She lived in -" Kate began explaining before her voice died off.

Rick shifted his gaze from the photo. "Kate?"

**Bullpen**

Kate's eyes were absorbing in the information as she read the file to her partner, stunned by what she had just learned. She heard his worried tone.

"Sorry, um it says here that she lived in Woodhaven. The address is a few streets over from our suspect's house," Kate tells him.

"Did they go to the same school?" he asked back, almost automatically. She could hear him sitting up or moving.

Kate picked up Samson's file from under a pile of papers. She had done the math in her head and the two would have been the same age. Taylor would be twenty one if she was alive, just like Samson was.

"Uh," she skimmed her eyes through his personal history, before skimming back through Taylor's. "Yeah, they did." She told him.

"You think he knew her?" she asked him, thinking the same thing herself.

She could hear movement from his end, like he was pacing.

"Yeah, I do." He replied. "Okay tell me about the other victims and let's start connecting the dots." He told her.

Kate smiled, bitting down on her bottom lip. He wasn't even here and they were working the case together.

"Kate?" he asked once again, concerned.

Shit! She has to stop zoning out like that. He was bound to catch onto her if she kept doing it.

"The second victim, Ashley Green was also seventeen and was reported missing on the ..." Kate's eyes were fixed on the missing person's report. "... 8th of October, 2009."

"The same date as Taylor, just a year later." Her partner replied.

Kate nodded as her eyes continued to absorb in the information.

"Ashley lived in Fresh Pond, come from a large family. She had six siblings at the time. It says that she got into an argument with her pregnant mother around the time she disappeared. Ashley was the second oldest child." She told him.

Kate stood up and walked towards the murder board, picking up the marker pen and uncapping the lid. She began writing up the new information the two had just learned.

A minute of silence passes between the two of them before he spoke up.

"Two things, the first one; Wow, that is a lot of offspring and two, what is the connection?" he answered before asking.

Kate turned back to her desk and looked down at the file on her desk. Her eyes were flickering from Ashley's file to Samson's. There was nothing in their files that connected them.

"His route?" Rick suggested.

The brunette flitted through the papers on her desk, locating Samson's route and going over the neighbourhoods he covered.

"Her street was on his route," she told him. They were slowly connecting the dots together. She turned back to the board and continued to add the information.

"Okay the third victim?" he asked, a little eager.

Kate capped the lid on the pen and walked back to her desk. She put Ashley's file aside and reached for Madison's. Her eyes scanning in the information on the page, she raised a curious eyebrow.

"Huh, Madison Shorten was nineteen. She went missing on the 8th October, 2010. Just like all the other girls but here's the thing, she lived in the East Village with her twin sister and a few other roommates." Kate begins explaining, pausing for a moment.

"Madison and her Twin Addison are both from Texas, her twin was blonde. They both attended NYU..." she added before he interrupted.

"And that is how he found her. She had the same red hair and blue eyes as the other two victims, sure she was a few years older but she looked like Taylor. It all comes back to Taylor," he tells her. "She is the reason he is killing girls that look like her."

Kate turned her attention back to the murder-board and added the information.

"What is it about Taylor that is making him kill these girls?" Rick questioned.

"Madison's file says she went missing the night she went jogging on that date," she informed him.

A long minute of silence passed between the two as Kate finished adding the information to the board.

"Taylor is the key," he told her. "It all started with her."

Kate looked at the photo of the seventeen year old teenager. Her eyes drifting to the three other victims, the board was filling with information.

"Why keep these victims in storage and not Molly?" she questioned.

A moment passed before her partner's rugged voice answered back.

"His truck broke down, so he had to dump her body. He couldn't risk getting caught with it." He told her.

Kate sucked on her bottom lip, letting out a sigh. "If that truck had never broken down, then we may have never found Taylor, Ashley and Madison -"

"And who knows how many more he would have ended up killing," Rick finished.

A long minute of silence passed between the two.

Kate walked back to her desk and sat down. Her eyes dropping to the files of the girls on her desk, they were just photographs. The people in them didn't exist anymore.

"I just keep thinking of Alexis," Rick confessed. He sounded so fragile.

She wished she was there with him at this moment, just to be there for him. He was always there for her.

"Rick," Kate softly whispered. "She is fine, besides being 2,939 miles away. Alexis is under the watchful eye of a bodyguard. He can't hurt her," she told him.

The female detective paused for a moment.

"And if he tried. I would take him out. I would make him suffer so much pain that he wished he was never born. And if he ran, I would hunt him down!" she promised her partner, determination flaring in her voice.

Another moment of silence lingered between the conversation before the writer spoke up.

"Thank-You," he simply replied. She could hear the smile in his voice.

Another long minute of silence passed.

"Any news on Sam?" he asked.

Kate turned her attention to her computer and once again, checked the APB. She sighed in disappointment.

"Nothing yet, we will get him." She assured her partner.

She heard him sigh though the phone. "I know. I don't doubt you for a second." He told her, sincerely.

Kate bit down on her lip. It was when he said things like that; it made her fall a little more in love with him every single time. She wanted to ask the writer what he meant when he said to his friend about his marine days. But then she would have to explain that she overheard/ eaves dropped in on his conversation.

"What did Taylor do to him to target her, and girls like her?" Rick asked out loud.

Kate was thinking the same thing. She still had to call the victims' loved ones, maybe they had some answers. Maybe they held the key the detectives were looking for.

"I will call in the next of kin for each girl and when the boys get back, we'll question them. Hopefully we can get some answers," she told him.

"I'll let you go," he responded. "And Kate, thank-you for including me."

He was her partner; of course she was going to include him. It was hard for her to see herself working a case without him.

"Always," she told him, genuinely. "I'll see you later," she added, before ending the call.

The female detective sat there for a moment as Rick filled her mind.

**16:30pm**

The two male detectives crossed the bullpen and headed in the direction of their desks, spotting their boss on the phone behind her's. She looked to be having an intense phone call. Their eyes darted to the murder-board, noticing that it had more information than before. The three other victims' photos had been added and information was beside it.

Kevin stopped in front of the board and began adding the information they had on the truck. Javier stopped in front of his boss' desk, waiting for her to finish her call. "I understand and we will keep you informed of the investigation," the brunette told the grieving mother on the other-side of the phone.

Kate had already called the father of the first victim and the parents of the second victim, both were on their way in. When she had gotten around to calling the twin of Madison, she learned that Addison moved back to Houston Texas a few months after her twin sister's disappearance. So she had to track down the family's home number and call that, getting the mother.

"I'll see you in a few days Mrs Shorten," she told her as she ended the conversation. She hadn't wanted to break the news over the phone but Mrs Shorten refused to fly out to New York until she knew the reason why and the condition of her daughter.

Kate placed her phone back on its cradle before turning to the boys and informing them.

"The mother and twin are making arrangements to come to New York. They'll be here in a few days. I want the case solved before then!" she told her team as she stood up.

Both male detectives could see that this case was getting to their boss.

"You got a lot done on the victims," Kevin spoke up, admiring the murder-board. She had even managed to find the connections of the victims to the suspect.

Kate glanced at the murder-board. "Yeah well Castle helped. He was the one who made the connection with Taylor and the school, after that the piece just began to fall together." She told them.

Javier and Kevin looked at one another, raised eyebrows.

"I thought Castle was watching Tray?" Javier questioned.

Kate was standing in front of the murder-board, once again. "He is," she told them straightforward, her eyes absorbing in the added information by the male detective.

"I called him," she told them without hesitation.

The bullpen was engulfed in silence. Kate had noticed the stares she had been getting back since she returned from the suspects house, obviously word had gotten out. But no one dared say anything to her. They knew she could take them.

Kate's eyes were fixed on the picture of Samson Preston. Where was he? The boys had informed her earlier that some of his clothes were missing, which meant he was on the run.

"There are uniforms watching the house right?" Kate questioned, not shifting her gaze from the board.

The boys nodded.

"What about his classes? Did he have any friends? Dig into Sam's History! Check his financials -" she began giving the orders.

"Detective Beckett?" A male voice asked, walking towards them.

All three detectives shot their eyes in the direction of the male voice, spotting a man in his late forties with black hair and blue eyes. Medium build and in a cheap suit, with a symbol of a bank embroidered across the top pocket.

The female detective grabbed a file from her desk and took a few steps forward, towards the older man.

"Mr Johnson?" she asked. She could see Taylor's face in the older man.

He nodded, defeat washing over him. It must be hard for a single father to worry where his only child could be all these years.

"This way," she told him, directing him away from the bullpen and murder-board and towards the break room.

**Break Room – 16:35pm**

The two were sitting at the table. Kate was sitting opposite of the older man. She had a file sitting in front of her. This was always the hardest part, breaking the news to the loved one.

"Mr Johnson, the reason I called you in is because we have news about your daughter." She told him, her voice remained set.

Victor Johnson was looking at the younger female detective with Hope, but sadness hid behind that.

"You found her?" he asked, hesitate.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, nodding. She kept her face blank, pulling out her best poker face.

"Yes, but the news isn't good," she replied, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

Victor's face automatically fell. He knew what was coming.

"This morning -" she began before getting interrupted.

"She's dead, isn't she?" the father asked with heartache.

Kate felt her heart squeezing. She kept picturing Rick sitting across from her and it being Alexis that was gone. She shook the horrible image from her head and focused on the man across from her.

"I am so sorry to tell you this, but your daughter was murdered and we discovered her body this morning." She told him, gently.

Victor gasped in shock, his face went white and his hand went to his chest. He began to breathe, heavily.

She knew what he was feeling, sure she had never lost a child but she knew what it felt like to lose someone close. When she lost her mother, it felt like a part of her had died too.

"I know this is hard, Mr Johnson but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" she asked, her eyes locked on the older man.

"Have you ever lost a child?" he asked her, upset.

Kate shook her head. "No, but my mother was murdered eleven years ago. So I understand the great deal of pain that you're in," she told him, tears building in her eyes.

Victor fixed his eyes on the younger woman. He could see the pain in her eyes. She knew loss and she knew what he was going through. He just nodded.

The female detective took a moment to collect herself. She placed her hands on the folder in front of her.

"Mr Johnson, do you know a Samson Preston?" she asks, lifting her gaze from the folder the older man.

The father sat there for a moment and thought about it before shaking his head.

Kate dropped her gaze to the file, opening it and removing a picture. She handed him the photograph of Samson from his Driver's Licence.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

The older man dropped his eyes to the picture, studied it for a moment before shaking his head, once again.

"No, sorry detective. Was he the one who killed my little girl?" he asked, heartbroken.

Kate knew this was going to be hard for the father to hear.

"Taylor along with two other young girls, were found a little while ago in his basement." Kate began telling him, watching as his eyes widened.

'They were found in freezers," she told him, allowing time for the older man to process the information.

She watched him go from upset, to shock in a matter of seconds.

"Freezer?" he questioned. His little girl had been stored in a freezer like she was some sort of food.

Kate nodded. She wished Rick was here right now. She could really use his hand on her shoulder. He always knew when she needed his touch. She had to focus and stop thinking about her partner. She had a case to close.

"All three victims had crystal blues eyes and strawberry blonde hair. You're daughter was the first one killed. A year later he killed again and the patterned followed up this morning," she told him.

Victor was completely floored. "Four girls? He killed three other girls ... besides my little angel?" the father sobbed.

Kate nodded, holding back her emotions. She let the father absorb in the bombshell she had just dropped.

A few minutes passed before the father spoke up.

"Please tell me you have caught the SOB who did this?" he asked, fuelling with anger.

Kate shook her head. "Not yet, but we're doing everything in our power to find him. I promise you Mr Johnson, I will find him!" she told him, determination flaring in her eyes.

The father nodded. He could tell that she was driven to find justice. She had been on his side of the table before.

"Did you find your mother's killer?" he asked, hesitated.

The brunette was a little surprised by the question. It wasn't the first she was asked about her mother's case. She shook her head.

"Not yet, she was the reason I became a cop." Kate confided in the older man, looking down at her father's watch.

Silence settled over the room once again.

"Do you have kids, detective?" he asked, curious. He knew she wasn't married because she didn't wear a ring.

Kate lifted her gaze to the older man, shaking her head.

"No, but I recently received guardianship of seventeen year old," she replied, honestly.

"Taylor was all I had. Her mother took off when she was baby. Taylor was my world," he told the female detective, his eyes filling with tears and his voice beginning to waver. "These past few years, not knowing have been hell."

Kate's heart went out to the older man. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze for support.

"We will find him! I promise you that!" she told him.

He nodded, knowing she would do good on her word.

"Can I see her?" he asked.

**Reviews are Appreciated**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. I just like to manipulate them for my own pleasure.**

**A/N:Thank-you for the reviews on twitter, FF and facebook. Sorry this chapter took so long, work has been crazy. And apparently I am the only one who works there since I am the one getting called in if someone cannot cover their shift.**

**Hopefully this chapter makes up for the wait, for those who are reading this fic. **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER EIGHT<strong>

**12****th**** Precinct - 16:40pm – Conference Room**

Javier was sitting opposite of the older woman. She was a plump lady in the later side of forties. Her long blonde strawberry hair pinned back into a bun and her hazel-green's staring back at the male detective.

The Hispanic detective had broken the news to the older woman a few minutes ago, now he was watching her sob her heart out. It pained him to see a woman cry. His boss was still talking to the father as far as he knew and his partner was digging up information on the suspect.

"Mrs Green, I know this is hard but there are a few questions I would like to ask you. If you're up to it?" he cautiously asked the older woman sitting across the table from him.

Rachel had tissues clutched in her hand. They were soaked through with her tears. She lifted her eyes to the younger detective and nodded.

Javier opened the file and took out the photo of Samson Preston, sliding it across the surface of the table and towards the woman.

"Do you recognize this guy?" he asked.

Rachel dropped her gaze to the photo of the younger attractive man, staring back. She looked at it for a good long minute before nodding.

"Yeah, the ice-cream man, I see him at-least three times a week. He drives past and blasts that stupid song and the kids then demand ice-cream. I don't know why when we have perfectly good stuff in the freezer," she told him, wiping her eyes.

"So you have seen him recently?" Javier pushed on.

The mother nodded, looking at the detective serious. "Wait, are you saying -" she paused and looked down at the photo.

"He killed my baby girl?" she asked, wide eyed.

The male detective kept his face set.

"Your daughter was found in the basement of his house, along with two other girls." He began explaining to her and the mother gasped.

"All three girls were found in freezers," he finished explaining. "We also found photo's he had taken of her a few months before her disappearance and murder."

The mother looked like she was going to pass out. Her face had gone completely white.

"Emily," she tells him.

Javier looks at the older woman confused. "Who's Emily?" he enquired.

The mother grabbed her handbag from her feet, rummaging through it. She grabbed out a small brag book, flicking through the pages until she stopped. Rachel flipped it around, showing the detective a picture of her ten remaining children. Ashley was the only one missing from the photo.

Javier looked down at the photo, redheads ran in the family. But only a few of the children had blue eyes, like their father. His eyes fixed on the teenager that looked just like Ashley, maybe a few years younger.

"Emily is fifteen. She was thirteen when Ashley disappeared," the mother began. She couldn't bring herself to say murdered.

"She looks just like her sister, will he come after her?" she questioned, fear filling her eyes.

Javier looked down at the photo. "She might be safe until she is seventeen, but that is a risk I am not willing to take." He told her, lifting his gaze to the older woman.

"We'll place protection detail on your family until we have caught him!" he promised.

She just nodded, as the room was filled with silence. A long minute passed before the mother spoke up.

"We had a stupid fight and because of that, she stormed out of the house and I'll never see her again." She continued to sob.

* * *

><p><strong>Autopsy – 16:46pm<strong>

The brunette detective and dark skinned medical examiner were both standing a small distance from the second autopsy table. The other three bodies of the teenage girls were covered. All four young girls were still being processed. Lanie won't be working the case alone, Perlmutter and a few interns would be helping later on.

At the moment the girls and Taylor's father, were the only ones down here. Perlmutter was working the night shift. It would be another hour before he comes in. Lanie was working till seven.

"T.O.D of each girl pretty much matches the same date of their disappearance." Lanie whispered to her best friend.

Kate tore her eyes from the grieving father, turning them on the medical examiner. She had a feeling that the girls were killed around the time of disappearance.

"Have we got cause for any of them?" Kate inquired, whispering back.

Lanie fixed her attention on the father. He was looking down at his daughter, brushing the hair from her face. The bodies were still thawing out, a few more hours before they would be completely defrosted. She had closed the eyes on the victim before the father and Kate had come down. The female detective had shot her a warning text that they were coming.

"I still have to wait until they're defrosted before doing the autopsy," Lanie told the detective. "But from first glance. I would say that they were all killed the same way as Molly.

Kate's eyes widened. He ran all four young girls down with his truck and stored the first three like trophies. If his truck hadn't broken down, Molly would have ended up the same as the other three girls. The brunette was pulled from her thoughts by the ringing coming from her phone.

She pulled her phone from its pouch and answered it. "Beckett."

Kate had seen the caller ID and knew who was calling.

"Hey Beckett, I just finished talking to the mother. She said she sees Sam the ice-cream man, a few times a week when he drives down their street and that annoying song plays." Javier told her.

Kate felt sick. He killed their daughter and yet he continued on the same route for two years after. What kind of sick person did that?

"Mrs Green also showed me a picture of her children. She has another daughter. Emily is fifteen and is a spitting image of Ashley. I think he -" Javier continued explaining until he was interrupted.

"Keeping an eye on his next victim, I don't want to risk the chance that she will be safe for the next two years. Get uniforms -" she began ordering before the male detective cut in.

"Already on it, boss. Uniforms will be following Mrs Green back and will remain posted outside their house until Samson Preston is caught," he told her.

Kate felt a little relieved. She was glad that she didn't have to always tell her team what to do, that the boys knew how to do their job.

"Does she want to see her daughter?" Kate questioned her team mate, turning her eyes back to the father grieving over his own.

A moment passed before he responded.

"Nah, she said she doesn't want to remember her daughter like that." He explained, sober.

Kate understood that. It would be hard on any parents having to see the child, lifeless.

"Keep my posted on what you two find, I'll be up shortly." She told him before hanging up.

Kate closed her phone and placed it back into the pouch on her pant belt before walking back towards her friend. Lanie was watching her, concern washed over her. The brunette fixed her eyes on the father.

"Goodbye princess," he whispered as he kissed the top of her forehead. He then took a step back and turned to face the two younger women. Lanie walked towards the body, stopping beside the father. She brought the white sheet back over the body and covered her.

The father walked towards the female detective, pure heartache washed over his features.

"Thank-you for finally giving me closure," he told her, heavyhearted.

Kate looked at the broken man and flashed back to the night the detective had told her father and her, the news of her mother's death. It was the same look of heartache and defeat.

"When can I burry her?" he asked, softly.

Kate placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "As soon as we finish the autopsy, she will be released into your custody." Kate softly told him.

He just nodded.

Kate locked her eyes on the older man. "I promise we will find him!" she told the father, determination flaring in her voice.

He just nodded again before heading in the direction of the doors and walking out.

The brunette felt useless, like she had failed. She was going to catch Sam and she was going to make him pay for the pain he caused those families.

"Kate, are you okay?" Lanie asked her best friend, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Kate felt the gentle touch from her friend. She turned her attention on the dark skinned woman and shook her head. The female detective wasn't one to let her guard down or show emotions in front of people. She preferred to be alone when the walls came crashing down, not wanting to be seen as weak in front of others.

"What's wrong?" Lanie asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Everything," Kate whispers, sadness evident in her tone. She averted her eyes towards the ground, dropping her arms by her side.

Lanie saw the defeat position her friend was in, something was really wrong.

"Sweetie, tell me what' wrong. You cannot keep everything locked inside, because if you keep doing that. You're gonna explode," she told her friend, honestly.

Kate knew her friend was right, at the moment she would loved to be facing a boxing bag so she could beat the crap out of it until all the anger and pain went away.

"I don't know what to do?" she confessed, sounding more like a whisper.

Lanie locked her eyes on her friend that was standing in front of her. "Do what, Hunni?" she asked.

"About everything," she admitted, lifting her eyes and locking them on her best friend. Kate could feel the tears building but refused to release them.

"First there is this case I have to solve. This guy is targeting teenagers that look like Alexis, which makes me think of Rick and what he must be going through. When I think of Rick, I think of the kiss we shared at the crime scene. When I think of the kiss, I think of what I feel for Rick. And when I think of what I feel Rick," she blurted out before pausing. "I think of my mom," she confessed.

Kate couldn't hold the tears back anymore, she began to sob.

Lanie instantly pulled her friend into her arms and let her cry it out which made Lanie let a few tears escape. Lanie rubbed Kate's back and let her friend cry it out on her shoulder, even though the female detective was taller than her.

"You let it out," Lanie told her, letting a few more tears escape.

* * *

><p><strong>16:51pm<strong>

The two women were sitting against the wall by the door, both now cried out and silence had engulfed the room.

"I don't want to put his life in danger," Kate spoke up. "He means too much to me."

Lanie turned her head to the left to look at her friend. Kate was staring dead ahead at nothing, her head leaned against the wall.

"There is still someone out there, wanting me dead. What if they go after him, or Alexis and Martha? I couldn't live with myself if anything ever happened to his family and I was the cause of it," she confessed.

Lanie could see where her friend was coming from but knew better.

"Kate, when are you going to learn how short life is?" she replied, not removing her eyes from her friend. Kate was more like a sister then a friend.

"Because I am reminded every single day with ever knew victim that comes through those door," she stated, gesturing to the doors. "Javier is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am grateful to have him in my life. I never thought I would settle down with one guy, but Javier changed my mind. He shows me everyday what love looks like," Lanie admitted out loud.

The medical examiner paused for a moment. Kate turned her hazel-greens onto her friend, seeing a look that was hard to describe in her friends eyes.

"Kate, that man loves you. A blind man could see that," Lanie announced, loudly.

Kate's eyes widened at her friend announcement. She was glad that they were the only ones in the room.

"What is holding you back from giving in? We all know you feel the same," Lanie told the female detective.

Kate looked at her friend seriously. "Lanie, they could come after -" she began before being interrupted.

"He could get hit by a taxi by crossing the street. You're using the fact that someone is after you as an excuse, because you're scared!" Lanie told her straightforward.

Kate was a little stunned by her friend's little outburst. No one had ever been that honest with her before. Well no one but Rick, he always told her what he thought and she always pushed him away. The brunette was surprised that he still hung in, that he still loved her. Most people would have just given up now.

Why was she holding back? He had proved to her over and over again that he loved her. She now had Trayvon to think about now, the teenager was her responsibility. She had to make sure she kept him safe.

"I have a case to solve and a promise to keep," Kate whispered as she pushed herself up from the wall and headed towards the doors.

Lanie pushed herself off the wall and stood up. "Tell him," she calls after her.

Kate disappeared through the doors without looking back.

* * *

><p><strong>Kate's Apartment – 17:01pm – Lounge Area<strong>

Trayvon walked back out into the open lounge area, stopping in front of the couch and plopping down on it beside the writer. The teenager had pretty much been ignoring the older man for most of the afternoon. He had just finished reading 'Heat Rises' and was surprised by the ending.

"Why did you end it like that?" Trayvon asked Rick, turning his eyes on him.

Rick had been deep in thought that he didn't noticed when the teenager had sat down beside him until he spoke up. The blue eyed writer turned his attention to the seventeen-year-old beside him.

"Huh?" he replied. What was Trayvon talking about? End what?

Trayvon could see the confusion over the older man's face.

"You put Rook in a coma and ended it with Nikki reading to him from one of his romance novels?" he questioned.

Rick looked at the teenager curious. "I thought you said that you didn't read my novels?" he questioned.

Trayvon shrugged his shoulders. "I lied," he responded. "So why did you do it?"

Rick had written the ending to Heat Rises four times before he was satisfied with the end result.

"I needed time to work out how Nikki felt about Rook. If I put him in a coma than it gives me time to figure out how she feels. Seeing him fighting for his life, Nikki has been put through so much hell already. I couldn't bear to hurt her again. So it had to be Rook," he told the teenager, honestly.

A long minute of silence passed between the two.

"Have you figured that out yet?" Trayvon asked, curious.

A minute of silence passed between the two before Rick answered.

"You'll just have to wait for the next novel to find that one out," he told him, smirking.

"Dude, that's cold." The teenager glared at him.

A knock at the door pulled their attention towards it. Rick stood up and headed for it.

* * *

><p><strong>12<strong>**th**** – 17:05pm – Bullpen**

Kate crossed the bullpen, stopping in front of Detective Ryan's desk. His baby blues were glued to his computer screen, his eyes running across the information in front of him. She had stopped in the ladies room and washed her face before returning to the bullpen.

"Have you found anything?" she asked him.

Kevin lifted his gaze from the computer screen and fixed them on his boss. She looked different from earlier, there was something different about her. Had she been crying? He knew his boss wasn't the type to show her emotions in public, there had been a few times when she had slipped though. Mainly Castle had been present for those, the writer always knew when she was about to fall.

"Ryan?" Beckett asked the male detective, kicking his desk to get his attention.

Kevin was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the thump from the desk.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Samson has a living grandmother in Ohio. His mother's mother," the male detective explained.

"Samson calls her once a week, I matched her number with his phone record and every Sunday night he calls her and they talk for around an hour." Kevin told her.

"So they were close," Kate guessed.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "I pulled Samson Preston's history. He was born and raised in Ohio. His family moved to New York when he was ten. He attended the same Secondary and high school as Taylor Johnson." The Irish detective told her.

Kate had known that the first victim and suspect had gone to the same high school, also lived in the same neighbourhood. Like Rick had told her. It all started with Taylor. Did he ask her out and she shut him down, so he snapped and killed her?

"He is a smart guy with IQ of 125, studying Neural Science at NYU." Kevin told her. "Why kill four teenage girls, he studied the human mind. He must have known what he was doing was wrong?" Kevin asked, puzzled.

"That's what I plan to find out," Kate told him. "Can you give me his Grandmother's number?" she asked him.

Kevin nodded and began jotting it down on a piece of paper.

Javier hung up his phone and looked at his boss. "CSU said they'll have the report on your desk, first thing in the morning," he informed her.

Kate turned her attention to the Hispanic detective and nodded, it had been a long day and the case wasn't even close from being over. So much had happened over the last several hours.

"You two head home, we'll pick this up in the morning. Keep an eye out on the APB for Samson," she told them, turning and heading back towards her desk.

Kate plopped down in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. Kevin was standing in front of her desk, the piece of paper in hand. She retrieved it from him and looked at it.

"You're heading home too, right?" The blue eyed detective questioned.

Kate raised her gaze and met his eyes, she sighed.

"After I make a phone call," she told him.

Kevin looked at her doubtful. "Just remember there is a kid you gotta think about now," he told her.

Kate knew that, she hadn't forgotten about Trayvon. Rick was with him at the moment so she knew he was okay. She trusted Rick to keep him safe and now that she knew he had some sort of marine past, which explained so much. She knew he was okay.

"I know and as soon as I make this phone call. I plan on going home, Dad." She teased in response, a smile tugging on her lips.

Kevin smiled back before turning away and walking off towards his partner.

* * *

><p><strong>Kate's Apartment - 17:22pm – Open Lounge Area<strong>

Rick was standing in front of the couch, Wii controller in hand. Trayvon was sitting on the couch, watching as the older male slid through the first level with ease. Since they weren't at the loft and Kate had no cool games or toys to play with to stop them from dying from boredom. The writer had called up a store and bought a new Nintendo Wii along with a bunch of games, including super Mario brother. The original game. He had it delivered for a little extra charge.

Rick had set up the Wii to Kate's television then explained the basics of the game. Their job was to rescue the princess. He remembers when he was younger and how he used to play this game on NES, which was known as Nintendo Entertainment System.

Rick and Trayvon were having a debate about the appreciation of the game and its entertainment value.

"What do you mean that it doesn't hold its own? This game is a classic!" Rick told the teenager as he touched a magic mushroom and received the ability to spit fire balls from his mouth.

Trayvon scoffed. "Just because it's old, don't make it a classic. Grandpa," he commented, smirking.

Rick tore his gaze from the screen and glared at the teenager. "Grandpa?" he questioned. Causing Mario to get hit, he turned his attention back to the screen in time to see Mario die.

Trayvon stood up and laughed. He had his controller in hand. "Oh look it's Luigi's turn to kick some butt," Trayvon proclaimed. "And save the princess."

Rick sat down on the couch and crossed his arms, mumbling under his breath.

* * *

><p><strong>12<strong>**th**** - 17:21pm – Bullpen **

Kate was listening to Samson's grandmother go on about how her grandson is the sweetest thing next to a bag of sugar. Kate hadn't had the heart to tell the woman in her eighties that her grandson was a serial killer. She had already lost her daughter, son in-law and husband. She had even lied to the woman when she called her, telling Nana Porter that she was a friend of Samson's and she hadn't seen him in a few days and was getting worried.

Nana Porter had informed her that she had spoke to him last Tuesday night and he seemed fine. She wasn't worried and expected him to call her Tuesday night. Kate hoped it was from a jail cell.

"Detective," a male voice called across from the bullpen, he had something in his hands.

Kate turned her gaze on the older man walking towards her.

"Um, can you please hold for a moment Mrs Porter, someone's at the door." Kate lied into the phone.

"Oh it's probably Sammy, I'll wait and I told you to call me Nana, Kate." The older woman told her.

Kate put the phone on hold as Mr Johnson stopped opposite of her, a desk between them.

"Mr Johnson? What's wrong?" the brunette asked, lifting her gaze to the pictures in his hands.

"When I got home I was going through some of Taylor's photo's taken before -" he couldn't finish what he was going to say.

Kate looked at the father curious.

"Anyway I noticed the same boy in a few different photos. He is always just in the corner of each shot," he explained as he placed the photos in front of the detective.

Kate dropped her gaze to the brown haired lanky teenage boy with black glasses. He looked totally different from the young attractive man he was today. She could see similarities in the face, which was definitely Samson Preston.

Kate took the phone off hold and spoke into it. "Did Sammy ever mention a girl named Taylor?" Kate asked, trying to sound casual.

The line was silent for a moment and the female detective feared the older woman had caught on.

"A few years ago he did," the eighty-year old began. "Back when he was in high school, she was all he could take about. He had been in love with her for years. But it was just puppy love. When he stopped talking about her, I figured he just moved on to the next crush." The older woman told her, a-matter-fatly.

Kate nodded along. "I think I have a call on the other line, it was great chatting with you Nana -" she began saying before being interrupted.

"Call soon Kate, it was nice talking to you. Say Hi to Sammy for me when you see him," she said her goodbyes before hanging up.

The female detective felt a little bad for lying to the older woman. It wasn't her fault that she had a killer grandson.

"Detective?" Mr Johnson asked, concern washing over him.

Kate was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the older man address her. She fixed her gaze back on him.

"Sorry Mr Johnson. Can I keep these photos for my investigation?" she asked him.

Victor nodded. "Anything to help solve Taylor's death," he responded.

* * *

><p><strong>17:51pm<strong>

Kate was studying the photos that Taylor's father had given her. The teenage version of Samson was definitely out of Taylor's league. Samson had definitely toned up and looked after himself. He most likely wore contacts also, since in the high school photos he was wearing glasses.

"Do you really think it is wise to leave a teenage boy and Mr Castle, unsupervised?" Gates asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Kate was pulled from her thoughts when she heard her boss's voice. She lifted her gaze to the older woman standing in front of her desk. The female detective softly smiled at the older woman.

"Castle is many things, but I know I can trust him with Trayvon." She honestly told the older woman.

Victoria admired the strive and determination in the young detective. She remaindered her of herself at that age. "Kate, go home. You've done all you can for the night," she ordered.

Kate sighed. She was kinda avoiding going home for as long as she could. Rick was there and that meant she would have to face her feelings for him. She knew she had to stop avoiding what her heart was telling her. She began closing the files on her desk and packing them up. She would take them home and work on them once she had Trayvon settled for the night.

The Captain had returned to her office.

Kate pulled out her mobile and shot a quick text to Rick, letting him know that she was on her way home.

* * *

><p><strong>Kate's Apartment – 18:01pm<strong>

Kate had a bunch of folders hugging her chest with her right arm. She unlocked the door with her left and pushed it opened with her foot. She gasped and almost dropped the folders when she saw Rick standing in front of her, holding out a glass of wine and smiling. She managed to not drop the case files, placing her free hand over her beating heart.

"Rick, you scared me." She told him, startled.

The smile dropped from the writer's face and filled with concern. She traded him the glass of wine for the files.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just figured you could use a drink after the day you had," he told her, now holding the case files. "I ordered dinner and it should be here in twenty."

Kate took a sip of the liquid from the glass, her eyes locked on his. Those blue eyes, she could get lost in those stony blues. It's the little things he did like this that made her heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," she smiles at him.

The worry disappeared from his face and he smiled back, their eyes locked on one another and it was like they were the only two people in the world. Kate remembered back to the kiss this morning, how good his lips felt against hers. She bit down on her bottom lip as he took a step closer towards her. His eyes still fixed on hers.

Kate's heart began racing. Was he going to kiss her again?

"Damn I died again," Trayvon's voice filled the room.

She watched as her partner turned his eyes on the teenager and disappointment began to fill her. She drained the rest of the liquid from the glass in her hand before grabbing the files back from her partner and handing him the glass back. She headed in the direction of her bedroom.

Rick was surprised when he had felt the folders getting lifted from his arms and being replaced with the empty wine glass. He turned his gaze on his partner as she walked off towards her room.

What the hell just happened?

* * *

><p><strong>Bedroom<strong>

Kate closed the door with her foot, before leaning against the wall and hugging the files close to her chest. She clamped her eyes shot and let the memory from this morning fill her mind. She remembered their interaction at breakfast this morning, then the kiss, finishing with the phone conversation.

Rick wasn't the same guy she had met almost four years ago. He had changed from playboy writer to her partner. The guy that was always there for her, no matter what she did or said to him. He was always there, always came back.

Kate's eyes shot open and she walked towards her bed, placing the files on top. She removed her gun and badge and placed them in her bedside table. She would have to find a safer place for them now since Trayvon was living with her.

* * *

><p><strong>Open Lounge Area <strong>

The brunette walked back into the lounge area, stopping in the doorway. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched Rick and Trayvon playing the Wii together. Her partner was coaching the teenager through the level. She hadn't seen Trayvon this happy in a long time. The teenager had had a couple of ruff years.

Rick was a great dad. There was no denying the fact. She could see him staying home with the kids while she went to work and kicked some butt. Whoa kids, where did that thought come from?

Kate shook the thought from her head and walked further into her room, headlining towards the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine.

* * *

><p><strong>16:22pm<strong>

Rick was smiling as he watched Kate and Trayvon play the game together. The teenager was coaching the brunette on what to do. He couldn't take his eyes of his beautiful partner, just watching the smile on her face grow wider and wider. This was the happiest he had seen her since last night.

Rick heard a knock at the door and jumped up from his spot, heading for the door. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket as he opened the door, smiling at the delivery boy standing across from him. Rick payed the young man and retrieved the food from him. He closed the door and headed back towards the lounge area, Chinese food in hand.

"Dinner's here," Rick announced as he stopped in front of the coffee table and placing the bag down on it. He began pulling the Styrofoam containers from it and placing them on the table.

"Tray, grab the plates please?" he asked the teenager.

Trayvon paused the game and did as he told.

Kate watched as the writer went through the same routine as he did last night with sitting out the containers. He knew how to make himself feel at home and she kinda liked the feeling.

"So how's the case coming along?" he asked as he shifted his gaze up and locked it with hers. She was watching him.

Kate tore her eyes from him when he caught her watching him. "Um, we found out that Samson has one living nana. She is a sweet woman in her early eighties that lives in Ohio," she told him.

Rick stood up and kept his eyes locked on her.

She turned her eyes back on him, holding his gaze. "Taylor's father brought in some photos of her before she disappeared. They were photos she had taken at school with friends. In most of the photos, standing in the far corner was -" she began explaining.

"Samson," Rick cuts in. "But he wasn't staring at the camera, he was staring at her." He simply answered.

Kate was a little surprised. He hadn't even seen the photos yet. How could he know that? He was Richard friggin Castle. That was how he knew. She just nodded.

Rick took a seat on the couch, beside Kate and turned to face her.

"He was in love with Taylor," Rick began telling her. "She captivated him. I bet she was always nice and gave him a smile when he passed her. He figured she felt the same as he did. Samson finally grew the courage to ask her out and when she turned him down. As nice as she could, it still hurt. He loved her, how could she not love him back?" Rick's voice filled with emotion.

Kate didn't know how he did it, but Rick always managed to pull her into his world when he was telling her one of his stories.

"So he was in his truck doing his job when he saw her and something inside of him snapped. She was all alone and the street was empty. Her rejection kept playing over and over in his mind and before he knew it. He was driving towards her at a great speed and hit her. He had killed her. What was he going to do now? The girl he loved was dead, that's when it hit him. He could still have Taylor. So he got out of his truck, picked her up and drove her back to his house. No one would ever know that he had her. His parents had died several months before and he was living by himself." Rick's fictional story played out.

"And as time passed and he spotted someone else that looked like Taylor. He thought it was his chance to have the real thing. He watched them for a few months before, wanting to know more about them. But when the anniversary ticked around, something in him snapped and he runs them down," he finished, explaining.

Silence engulfed the room for a long moment.

"He killed four girls in cold murder, ran them down and then stored them in his basement," Kate reminded him, raising her voice.

"I'm not defending him Kate, I want him caught too. What he did to those four girl was wrong," he told her, the same passion burning his voice.

"Let's Eat," Trayvon announced as he re-entered the room with the plates and cutlery and placed it on the coffee table, plopping himself on the floor in front of it and began serving himself.

* * *

><p><strong>19:34pm<strong>

With dinner finished and cleared away. Rick and Trayvon were back on the Wii and had changed the game to Angry Birds. The two were cheering each other on as they passed each level.

Kate was sitting on the far right corner of the couch, legs crossed and eyes dropped to the folder that was opened in her lap. She was rereading Samson Preston's file. She was trying to work out how he went from lanky teenager to serial killer. He was top of his class and valedictorian. Even after his parents passed, that didn't stop Samson from being a top student. He scored himself a scholarship and was working on his PHD.

Rick had his mobile on the coffee table in front of them. His eyes dropped to it when his message tone began going off. He picked up the phone and his face let up when he saw who the message was from. Rick opened the message and surprised washed over him. He reread the message to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"I have to go," he spoke up.

Kate raised her gaze from the file and looked at her partner concerned. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

Rick started towards the door, turning and locking eyes with the brunette. "Yeah," he answered before turning back and reaching the door. He exited the apartment.

Kate stared at the door. What was that about? Who was the message from? What was going on?

* * *

><p><strong>Bedroom - 19:48pm<strong>

Kate had changed from her work clothes and into a pair of black yoga pants and deep red v neck cotton sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She had taken the case files sitting on the bed beside her. She was propped against the headrest of her bed, her laptop resting on her stomach.

There had been something that was bugging her, ever since she overheard Rick's conversation earlier.

The female detective knew that he hadn't used his author name when he served because she would have found it. He changed his middle and last name to sell novels, so when he served he would have used his birth name. She opened the database they used to do background checks with and typed in **'Richard Alexander Rodgers' **then hit enter.

"Rick's pretty cool," Trayvon's voice came from her doorway.

Kate flinched. She lifted her head and looked towards the door.

"Tray, don't sneak up on me like that!" she told him, waiting for her heart to slow to its normal rhythm again.

Trayvon shrugged his shoulders and entered the room, walking over towards the bed and sitting on the end.

"He's not a dead beat like dad was," Trayvon told her, honestly.

Kate locked her eyes on the teenager. "Your father was a good man," she told him.

Royce was a good man, sure he made some stupid choices but he had always been there for her. He was her rock before Rick. He kept her head above water when she felt like drowning years ago. She had loved him.

"He sucked as a father, never wanted me." The teenager confessed.

Kate looked at the teenager stunned. Did he really think that? She began shaking her head, placing her laptop on the other side of her.

"You're dad had always been proud of you, Tray." Kate tells him, honestly.

Trayvon scoffed, answering back. "Yeah right."

Kate looked at the teenager determined. "He was. He told me in a letter I received from him after he died," she told him.

Trayvon turned his eyes on the older woman.

"He said that he has made a lot of mistakes in his life. But you were the best thing he ever made. That if he could change one thing. It would be spending more time with you." She admitted. "He said that after he finishes helping the woman he was helping that he would return to you and hoped you'd take him back."

She turned and reached into her tableside draw, pulling out the letter and handing it to the teenager.

Kate hadn't showed this letter to anybody but knew Trayvon needed to see it.

"He was killed before he got the change to be a real dad to you," she explained. "Just read it," she told him.

Trayvon looked at the letter in his hands and stood up, heading for the door.

* * *

><p><strong>JFK Airport - 20:01pm <strong>

Rick couldn't believe that he had got caught in traffic. The plane would have landed by now. He was running through the airport among the sea of people and towards the gate that his daughter had texted him.

"Dad," Alexis shouts.

The writer stopped in his tracks when he heard his daughter's voice. He turned around and spotted her. She was standing a few metres behind him, suitcase by her feet. A grin spread across his face. The two ran towards one another and flew into one another's arms, almost knocking each other to the ground.

"What are you doing back?" Rick asked his daughter, pulling back still a little surprised that she is home all ready. "You couldn't have had long with Ashley."

"We broke up," she told her father. "I flew out to tell him in person. Long distance just wasn't working out and I wasn't planning to come home until tomorrow but I am worried about you."

Rick looked at her serious. "Worried? Pumpkin, I'm fine." He told her, seriously.

Alexis rolled her eyes and he grinned because it reminded him of Kate.

Alexis looked at her father curiously. "Why are you grinning?" she asked him.

Rick picked up his daughter's suitcase and pulled her into a side hug. "Nothing you need to worry about," he honestly told her.

"Rick," a familiar male voice called from behind them. The writer turned his head and saw his friend walking towards them. A duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"Shane, hey. You flew back with Alexis?" he asked, surprised.

Shane stopped in front of his long time friend. "Technically she flew back with me. We took the companies jet back," he told him.

Rick raised an eyebrow. He had been in the private jet before. It was owned by McGarrett Security, which belongs to Shane's father.

"How's the family doin?" he asked, casually as the three began walking towards the exit.

"Well Becky just had twins," he informed his long time friend.

* * *

><p><strong>Kate's Apartment – 20:05pm - Bedroom<strong>

Kate's eyes were absorbing in the information she had found out about Rick's past, no wonder she hadn't known about this before. It wasn't public records and wasn't connected with his writing. She was stunned to learn this side of the writer, the warrior side. She was reading an article on his unit, it astounded her.

She heard a soft knock on her door, raising her gaze to it. She found Trayvon standing there. He walked in with the letter in hand, over towards her bed. He handed her the letter back and looked at her serious.

"That 'What If' stuff dad wrote. You should take his advice," the teenager told her before walking away.

Kate looked at him a little stunned as she watched Trayvon walk towards the door and out of the room. His words left her speechless as she turned her eyes back towards the laptop screen. She reached for the ring on the chain around her neck, running her fingers over it.

"What do you think mom?" she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>Castle Loft - 20:18pm – Rick's Office <strong>

Rick bought two glasses and a bottle of 50 year old single malt scotch over towards his desk. He sat them down on it, opening the bottle and poured the drinks. He picked up the glasses and walked over towards his friend, plopping down on the couch beside him.

"You still have it," he spoke up, surprised.

Rick bought the glass to his mouth and let the liquid slid down his throat, turning to look at his friend. "I only drink it with you or Patrick," he told him, sincerely.

A minute of silence passed between the two as they took a moment to savour their drinks.

"So last time we talked, you were still hung up on your partner." Shane inquired, studying his friend.

Rick's gaze dropped to his glass at the golden brown liquid. He had told Shane all about Kate. They met up every few months and caught up on each other's lives, the two were practically brothers. There was a few months between the two. Rick was older and didn't let Shane forget that. Both had been busy recently and this was the first time they had caught up in a few months, the last time they had talked was right after Kate's shooting when she had gone to stay with her dad for two months.

"She told me a few months ago that she wouldn't be able to have the kind of relationship she wanted until her mother's case was solved," he confessed.

Shane had met both of Rick's ex wives and a few of his serious girlfriends. Kyra Blaine being one of them, Rick had really loved her. His ex wives were lust, pure and simple. But the way he talked about Kate. She was the real deal. Shane looked at his best friend serious.

"How close are you to solving it?" he inquired, knowing that Rick would be working on the case.

Rick lifted his gaze and looked up at his friend. "You know me too well," he stood up and walked towards his smart board on the wall behind his desk. He picked up the clicker off the desk, turning it on. Kate's picture appeared, the writer touched her picture and the board was filled with information and photos.

Shane turned his attention to the board, studding it. It was really detailed. Each photo had information beside it. Deceased was stamped across most of the photos. Shane tore his gaze from the board and towards the writer. He was looking at the picture of Kate.

"Wow, you really love her." He spoke up.

Rick tore his eyes from Kate's picture and turned them on his friend. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Dad," he heard his daughter call.

* * *

><p><strong>Open Lounge Area<strong>

Rick exited his office and walked into the open lounge area, his eyes found his daughter. She was standing by the door.

"What's up, Pump -" he began asking before he spotted the guest they had. Standing beside his daughter was his partner.

Music was softly playing through the room, coming from the surround sound system.

"Kate?" he asked surprised, looking from his partner to the teenager standing behind her. "Tray," he greeted the teenager, who was grinning at him with his arms crossed.

Rick turned his eyes back to the brunette that stole his attention. She had changed from earlier into casual wear. Her hair was still down and she was biting down on her bottom lip, which meant there was something on her mind. Was that why she was here?

"Can we talk?" she asked him, softly.

Shane exited the office and walked towards his friend, standing beside him folding his arms. He looked at the female detective.

Rick turned and looked at his friend. The two communicated with their eyes before Shane nodded. He turned back and looked at Kate.

"Sure let's go to my office," he told her, before turning in that direction. She followed him.

Shane and the two teenagers watched the two walk towards the office, the door closing but left open a jar.

"What's going on?" Alexis spoke up, looking towards Shane, then the male dark skinned teenager.

* * *

><p><strong>Rick's Office<strong>

Rick was standing in the middle of his office. Shane had turned off the board before leaving the office. Kate was just inside of the room, the writer a few metres from her.

She was nervous. On the drive over she had been going over this scene in her head. What she was going to say and how it would play out, but now that she was actually here. She had no idea what to say.

She had left the door opened slightly, just in case she wanted to back out. She heard soft music playing from the open lounge room.

"_I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over. I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm colder. In my life, there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again. Can't stop now, I've travelled so far. To change this lonely life," _a female voice softly sang.

"So?" Rick began. He had no idea why she was here? Is it a good thing or bad thing?

Kate bit down on her lip, listening to the words of the song.

"_I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me. I wanna feel what love is. I know you can show me."_

"About today," she finally spoke up. "How we comforted one another," she added before pausing.

"_I'm gonna take a little time, a little time to look around me. I've got nowhere left to hide. It looks like love has finally found me. In my life there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again. I can't stop now. I've travelled so far, to change this lonely life."_

"I was thinking -" she began before pausing again. Why was this so friggin hard? Why couldn't she just tell him what she felt?

"_I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me. I wanna feel what love is. I know you can show me, show me. I wanna know what love is, Ooohh. I want you to show me. I wanna feel what love is, I know you can show me, show me."_

Rick could see fear in her eyes, was she going to tell him that she didn't want him to follow her any more? He couldn't picture his life without her. It wouldn't be living if he didn't see her every day. He wasn't going to let her run from this.

Rick took a few steps forward, enclosing the distance between the two of them. She didn't move back or flinch. He knew he had to say this now or he never will.

"This morning, was more than just comfort, Kate." He honestly told her. Less than a metre between the two, Rick locked his eyes on her. She held his gaze.

"I have never hid my feelings for you. I care deeply for you and I know you feel the same..." he continued to tell her, voice thick with emotion.

"I do," Kate softly confessed.

Rick didn't shift his eyes from her. "Stop deny... wait what?" he looked at her unsure. Had he heard right? Did she just say what he thought his ear heard her say?

"What?" he asked, unsure.

A smile touched her lips, her eyes filled with lust and desire. Rick's stony blue's burrowing into her hazel-greens. Kate took a step closer, leaving inches between them. She swears she can hear his heart pounding in his chest..

"I do care for you, a lot." She confessed, in a sultry tone. She raised her hands and placed them on his shoulders. "You have always been there for me Rick, ever since you walked into my life ... even before tha..." she begins telling him, sincerely before stopping.

Rick smiled at her. "At the book signing six years ago, you were the young woman with the sad eyes. You're hair was longer and a little darker," he told her as he left his fingers and ran them through her hair.

Kate was a little taken aback. He remembered seeing her? Why hadn't he ever said anything?

"Katherine, a beautiful woman with such sad eyes. You should smile more, because you never know who is falling in love with you. The world needs more beautiful smiles like yours," he quoted to her what he wrote. A smile lit up his face. "At the time, I just didn't know it was me," he confessed.

Kate still had her hands on his shoulder. She was overwhelmed by emotions. She didn't need any more proof that he was the one. Kate closed the distance between them, bringing her lips down to his and capturing them in a searing kiss. She poured everything she felt for him at this moment into that kiss. It only took a few seconds before he got over the shock that she was actually kissing him and he responded to it. She opened her lips and let his tongue slid in and against hers.

Kate slid her arms from his shoulder and looped them around his neck. She felt his hands slide along her hips, encircling her waist and pulling her closer to him. As the kiss deepened, a moan escaped the brunette's lips.

He was doing some pretty wicked things to her body and she could feel herself melting into his embrace. His lips worked furiously on hers and their tongues battled fiercely for dominance. She could feel the heat start to pool between her legs and almost saw stars when he brought her hips even closer to his.

She sucked on his bottom lip and bit gently on it, eliciting a smile from him. He kissed her deeply again before starting a trail of light feather kisses between her neck and shoulder.

Kate arched her neck back, given his lips open access to nibble on her soft flesh. Her mind was cloudy and she was unable to think a straight thought. If he was like this with his lips, she was curious how he was with his body.

"Oh my god," came a young female voice from behind them.

Rick and Kate turned their heads towards the door, still locked in an intimate embrace only to see Alexis standing in the doorway. She quickly turned and disappeared out of sight.

Kate's face burned red. She had just got busted making out with the teenager's father. It was her partner's sultry voice that made her turn her eyes back to him.

"So what does this mean?" Rick asked her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Castle, wait a second *Checks email, sighs disappointed* Nope Still do not own Castle but that doesn't mean I can't play around with them *smirks*

**A/N: **Thank-you for all the reviews on FB, FF and twitter. Reviews are like Crack to writers, the more we get the faster we write.

I would like to credit Phnxgrl for her help with Rick's past.

Beta-d by Teelduo

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER NINE<strong>

**Castle Loft – 20:28pm - Rick's Office**

"Please tell me that your daughter didn't just walk in on us?" Kate asked her partner.

Rick's arms were still encircled around her waist and her arms were still wrapped around his neck. Their faces only inches apart and their eyes still locked on one another.

"If I say no, can we go back to kissing?" he grinned, cheekily.

Kate glared at him, trying to be mad but he looked so darn cute. A smile was tugging at her lips. She bit the inside of her cheek to suppress it, detaching herself from him and softly whacking him on the shoulder before stepping back from his embrace. She folded her arms and held her glare, to show him that she was serious.

"Rick, this is serious." She told him, apprehensively.

Rick instantly missed her touch and intimate embrace. He could tell that she was being dead serious and was a little scared of what his daughter thought. What if she wanted to run from this? From them? Was there a them?

"Do you regret what just happened?" he asked her, nervously.

Kate heard the fear in his voice and saw his beautiful blue eyes darken. Did he really think that?

"What? No, I don't regret kissing you," she told him, sincerely. Kate took a step forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I am just worried about Alexis," she told him.

Rick's eyes softened and his heart melted. She cared about his daughters feelings. He rested his hands on her hips and smiled at her.

"Alexis admires you Kate, sure maybe walking in on us kissing wasn't what she planned for. But I know she will be happy for us," he assured her. "Is there an us?" he inquired, looking at her anxiously as he waited for her answer.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, holding back a grin that was dying to break loose. He looked so cute and worried that she would turn him down. That's when she realized that he was seriously worried that she might reject him. The smile disappeared from her features and now she was concerned. She couldn't really blame him for thinking that. She had turned him away before, early that day. He had every right to be worried that she would do the same now. Kate knew that she had to assure him that she wasn't going anywhere.

The brunette moved her right hand from his shoulder and slid it up his neck, resting it at the back of his head. Kate enclosed the distance between them, crashing her lips against his.

The kiss started off slow and enticing for a few seconds before Rick deepened it. He pulled her close as humanly possible as their tongues dances a slow and passionate waltz. Kate ran her fingers through his hair as the kiss grew heated. She could feel her entire body tingling and she could feel her legs weakening.

A moan escaped her lips and her mind began going foggy. The effects this man had over her were indescribable. She could feel his hands sliding from her hips and around to her back. He pressed them against her back causing her to arch slightly and press even more against him. She knew where this kiss was going to lead if she didn't pull back very soon, and even though Kate did want all of Rick. She didn't want them to go that far tonight.

Kate pulled her lips from his, breaking the kiss and looking into his lust filled eyes and swollen lips. She brushed her fingers along his cheek, resting her hand there. "What do you think?" she simply asked him.

Rick looked at her wide-eyed. He was speechless.

* * *

><p><strong>Upstairs Hallway – 20:33pm<strong>

The partner's were walking across the carpeted hallway floor in the direction of the teenager's bedroom. When they had left the writer's office in search of Alexis to explain what she had witnessed, the lounge area only contained Trayvon. Rick had asked the teenage boy were Alexis and Shane were. He told them that Alexis ran from the office and towards the stairs like she was on fire. The older dude looked concerned and went after her.

As they were approaching the door that was opened ajar, the two adults heard talking inside. It was Shane's voice.

"- Your dad and I have been best friends for decades and I have never heard him talk about any woman like he does about Kate." Shane's voice flowed throughout the door. "And I've known him since he was eighteen."

Kate turned and looked at Rick, her eyes filled with curiosity. He was looking at the door. She thought she knew nearly everything possible about him, but since this case was opened. The female detective has discovered there was a Hugh part of the writer's life that not even the press knew about.

* * *

><p><strong>Alexis Room<strong>

Alexis is sitting on her bed, hugging a pillow. Shane is standing at the end of the bed.

"The only two people he talks to me about are you and Kate," He told the teenager. "So I know you both mean the world to him. If Kate makes him as happy as you do, why wouldn't you want them together?" Shane asks the teenager, inquisitive.

Alexis sighed, lifting her eyes to look at the older man. "I do want them together. I like Kate, have since I first met her. She is the only woman who didn't fawn over my dad at first sight. He will need someone when I go off to college. I can trust Kate to keep him in line. It's just the last year has been -" she began telling him before pausing.

"Tough, I know. Your father told me about everything that has happened," Shane admitted to the teenager. "I know it has also been tough for you to see your father being put in life-threatening situations. But Alexis, your father isn't stupid. He might do or say dumb things but he isn't stupid. He knows exactly what he is doing." The former Marine told her, seriously.

Shane wished he could tell the teenager about her father's past and how he was a great man, but he promised Rick that he wouldn't say a word. When the writer was ready or thought that his daughter was ready to hear it. He would tell her.

Even though this morning was the first time that he ever met Alexis, officially. Her whole life Rick has been showing him photos and videos of the redheaded girl, from a newborn to the young woman that she is today. Shane was out of the country a lot and the reason the two never met was because Rick had been scared that he might get killed while fighting over there and it would crush his little girl. The only reason that Shane wasn't still serving his country was because he got shot in the back in the line of duty, two years ago and was honourably discharged. It took a year of recovery. He then started working for his father's security company.

Alexis studied the older man. She was curious how he and her father met, if they had known each other for over twenty years. How come she has never met him before? What else had her father kept from her?

"I know my dad would die for her. I just hope he doesn't have to," she confessed, quietly as a few tears slipped. "I can't lose him."

Shane had a few nieces and nephews because of his two sisters who must have loved being pregnant, since they always seemed to be in the last few years. Rick was like his brother, so he saw Alexis as family. Shane wasn't the highly affectionate type, unlike Rick who at times acted like a giant care bear. He was fighting an inner battle with himself, should he comfort her? He had never really been good at that.

A soft knock at the door pulls the teenager and older darked haired man's focus towards it.

"Pumpkin, I think we should talk," Rick addressed his daughter, taking a step into the room. Kate was by his side, looking a little nervous.

Shane looked at his friend and the beautiful detective beside him. They weren't touching but close enough to almost be. He smiled at them both. "I'll be down stairs with the male kid," he informed them, heading out of the room and closing the door behind himself.

The partner's walked around to the left side of the bed, their gazes fixed on the teenager who was laying down the middle.

"Pumpkin, you must know I would never get myself into a situation that would take me away from you," he told her, sincerely.

Alexis locked her crystal blues on her father. "Dad, you cannot predict the outcome when you're in the field. It's not one of your novels that you change the ending if you aren't satisfied with it." she calmly pointed out to him.

Rick knew that. He wished he could, but knew that life was unpredictable. He had been through enough danger in the last four years and when he was with the Marines to know that life is unpredictable.

"I could get hit by taxi, just crossing the street." He pointed out. "Or a stampede of fans could crush me at book signing."

Alexis shook her head. He just wasn't getting it or being serious. Why was everything a joke?

Rick could see the change in his daughter's expression. She wasn't amused.

"Alexis, why are you more worried about me getting hurt on the job now. I have been following Kate for years?" he asked her, curiously.

"Because now that you're together. You could get distracted, easier." She told her father.

Kate watched the interaction between father and daughter. She understood what Alexis was trying to tell the bone head. She fixed her gaze on the teenager.

"Alexis," Kate spoke up.

Both Castles turned their gazes on the female detective.

"I can't promise that nothing bad will ever happen to your father if he continues to follow me. But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing does," she promised the girl.

"What do you mean 'If I continue to follow you', why wouldn't I be?" he questioned his partner, looking at her concerned.

Kate tore her attention from his daughter and looked into the writers stony blues.

"I figured that now we're together, that you'd stop -" she began telling him before he cut in.

"Following you," he interjected, shaking his head. "Not even Iron Gates could stop me, Kate. Just because we're together now, there is no way I would consider not shadowing you. We're partners, in every sense of the word, now." Rick told her, turning to face her. He placed his hands on her hips, looking into her eyes.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, a smile slipping onto her delicate features. She rested her hands on his shoulders. She loved it when he got serious with her. The big kid side was cute too, but serious Rick. He was the one that stole her heart. Not that she would ever admit that to the writer.

Alexis watched the two adults with a sly grin on her face. She could see that they were both truly happy, which made her happy. Alexis cleared her throat, bringing the two adults back to reality.

"I am thrilled that you two are finally together after years of this cat and mouse game, but can you both warn me when you're being touchy feely. I just don't want to walk in on the two of you in a compromising position." She informed the adults, straight-forward.

Both adults looked at the teenager a little in awe. Kate felt her face burning red.

"Duly noted, pumpkin." Rick informed his daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Open Lounge Area – 20:45pm<strong>

Kate and Rick walked down the stairs, their fingers intertwined with matching smiles on their faces. Both feeling relieved that everything was sorted with Alexis and having her blessing was just an extra bonus. They kept stealing glances at one another as they walked down the stairs and reached the bottom.

Loud gunfire noises brought them to reality and Kate stiffened. Rick felt her tense in her fingers, squeezing his hand. He turned his eyes on her, noticing that she turned slightly pale.

"You okay, beautiful?" he inquired, concerned.

Kate clamped her eyes shut. Images of the shooting and the hospital filled her mind, hearing voices around her but unable to wake up. Rick walked through the door and her eyes found his and for that brief moment, they were the only two in the world.

"Kate?" she heard his voice again. This time it was filled with apprehension. She then felt him squeezing both her hands.

She opened her eyes and there he was, looking at her with fear filled eyes. She strongly disliked that she caused that look on his face.

"I'm okay," she lied, forcing a smile.

Kate knew she was far from okay, emotionally. Everytime she heard a loud bang, slamming of a door. She flashed back to the shooting and lying on the ground, feeling the blood slip from her body.

"You know I am here for you, right?" he told her, squeezing her hands again.

Kate looked into his trusting blue eyes. With just one look, she felt safe once again. He always knew how to make her feel safe, even when the world was crashing around her. He made her feel safe.

"I know," she admitted, softly smiling at him.

Rick pulled her into a side hug and the two began walking towards the couch, where Trayvon and Shane were playing Rick's Xbox.

More gunfire filled the room. Kate flinched again at the sound of it, stopping a few metres from the couch. Rick felt her shake in his arms. It didn't matter what she told him, he knew something was seriously wrong.

Kate turned her eyes on the game the boys were playing, it looked like Trayvon was a sniper and focusing on his target. Shane was coaching him on making the shot. Kate closed her eyes and images of her getting shot filled her head once again. At the sound of gunfire, she felt a sharp pain rip through her. Kate gasped in pain and was having trouble breathing, her legs weakened and she felt tears stinging her eyes.

"Stop playin that!" she shouted towards the boys.

Shane and Trayvon turned around, noticing that the others had returned.

Rick felt his partner trembling in his arms. He knew this was a sign of the PTSD hitting her. He knew that she wasn't okay and was holding something in.

"Kate?" Rick's voice

"It's just a game, Aunt Kate." he tells her.

"No, it's not Trayvon. People are attached to those bullets that you shot, you're taking someone life," she tells him, tears slipping down her cheek. She tried controlling sobs as they slipped from her throat.

Rick shot a glance to Shane, speaking with his eyes. Shane nodded back and hit pause on the game. He knew what the detective had been through. It wasn't a bright idea choosing this game while she was in the loft. It had just come natural to him because games like Battlefield 3 were the ones he played whenever he visited Rick in the city.

Trayvon had never seen the detective cry. She was always so strong. He didn't mean to make her cry.

"I'm sorry," he began to apologize. "I didn't mean -"

Kate felt bad for snapping at the teen. He didn't know how much the shooting truly affected her.

"I'm sorry," she counteracted his apology.

Rick secured his hold on his partner. "Kate, I need to tell you something," he told her, directing her towards the office. Kate just let him guide her out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Rick's Office<strong>

Rick closed the door behind them, turning back to look at his partner.

Kate wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

He looked at her confused and worried. "For what? Being human?" he asked, enclosing the distance between them and pulling her into his arms. "Sweetie, you were shot several months ago. It's okay to be affected whenever you hear gunshot, even if it's only from a game." He told her, compassionately.

Kate took a step back from him. Was he defending snipers? She of all people would think that he would feel the same. He was there when she got shot.

"No, it's not. I don't want Tray playing games like that. I don't want him thinking that people are just targets!" she shouted at the writer.

Rick felt like he had been kicked in the guts. "Not all snipers are bad, Kate." He told her.

Kate looked at him hurt.

He saw the hurt and anger in her eyes.

"There is something I have to show you," he told her.

She watched him walk towards his bookcase and pull out a novel, her eyes locked on what was behind the novel. It looked to be a keypad, she watched as he hit in a bunch of numbers, then took a step back. A moment later the bookcase slid across the floor and a secret room was revealed. Kate's eyes widened as she took a few steps forward towards it. She walked pass the writer and stepped inside.

Kate entered the room, taking in the full 360 view of the room slowly turning in a circle as her eyes took in every inch of the room. From the wall of monitors to the awards and photos on the opposite wall to the monitors, the nine monitors showed all the room's in his loft except for bedrooms and bathrooms. It also showed all the entry and exited points of the building.

She walked towards the back wall where the photo's and awards were. Her eyes lingered on a picture of a younger Rick dressed in Marine green. Standing with a bunch of men his age dressed the same. The men were all smiling and Rick along with Shane was both holding sniper rifles. When she researched his past, she had found a few articles but none gave the indication of his position in the Marines.

Kate turned and looked at her partner who was standing a few metres from her. He was watching her, waiting for a reaction.

Rick pulled the dog tag from under his shirt. He had started wearing it again after he broke up with Gina last year. He never wore it when he was with a woman or anyone who could link it with his past.

Kate was floored. She didn't know what to say.

"I met Shane when I was eighteen at college. We were roommates in the same dorm with two other guys. He told me how in ROTC, while at college. How he was gonna serve in the Marine's after he graduates, just like his father did." Rick began telling her.

"One day I went along with him to his training and I loved the discipline, also an idea for a new novel popped into my head. I knew I would need to research from the inside for my character. So I signed up for the program and ended up loving it. I never really had a male role model. The instructors filled that void for a while."

Kate listened to Rick as he divulged to her about his past.

"When I was nineteen, I met Kyra. I continued to train, write and be with her. Just after graduation, she told me that she was going to London. I had already decided that I wanted to do a few years in the Marines with Shane. He and I had become like brothers, per say. His family had become my second family. Kyra left for Paris and my squad was shipped out a few weeks later to fight in gulf war 1. Mother was away alot, her acting career in full bloom. She didn't approve of me joining the Marines but knew there was no stopping me. I had three novels under my belt and just wanted to get away for while, to forget Kyra."

Kate heard the raw emotion in her partner's voice as he spoke about his past.

"I was four months into my services when I was shot in the back. The doctors told me that if it had been a few more inches to the left. I would have been paralysed."

Kate's eyes widened and a gasp slipped her lips, she covered her hand over her mouth.

"I was air lifted back to the states for surgery and then held at a VA facility here in Manhattan for rehabilitation. I was honourably discharged and awarded the purple-heart for being injured," he told her.

_**5**__**th**__** April 1993- Manhattan - VA Facility – Private Room**_

_The young novelist was lying in a hospital bed, feeling groggy. Everytime he closed his eyes, he flashed back to the battlefield. He was on a strong dose of morphine at the moment, to help ease the pain that was shooting through him. He had gotten shot a week ago but it felt like it happened only hours ago. Rick woken five days ago, he was in a coma for two before that. His body had needed time to heal after the shooting. _

_Rick wasn't known for his patience. He didn't like sitting around and doing nothing, a novelist brain is always thinking. He knew the doctor told him not to move much until his body had healed a little more, but he was tired of waiting. Rick lifted his hand and gripped the bar hanging above his bed. He began pulling himself up, sharp pain began to shoot through him. _

"_Aaaarrrggghhh," he cried out, continuing to pull himself up. _

_Patrick ran into the room, hearing the younger man's pain. He hurried over to the bed and helped the writer sit up, placing a pillow under his back and pressed the morphine button. "Rick, what the hell are you trying to do?" he demanded, glaring at the younger man. "You wanna be here longer?"_

_Rick could feel the pain slipping away as more morphine entered his system from Patrick pressing the button. He turned his attention on the older man to his left. He had known Patrick McGarrett for four years now, the whole family. _

"_I'm fine," he gritted through his teeth._

_Patrick crossed his arms at the twenty two year old. Rick had just had a birthday on the 1__st__ of April, while he was in a coma. _

"_Don't be so damn stubborn, Rick!' Patrick told him. He turned to the side table and picked up the blue velvet box, opening it and holding up the purple-heart medal. "Some Marines come back in a box just to receive this medal."_

_Rick refused to look at it. He crossed his arms and stared up at the TV above his bed at the end of it. _

"_I don't deserve it," he told the older man. _

_Patrick looked at the younger man_ _slack jawed. "You're kidding me right?" _

_Rick shook his head. "I should still be over there and fighting with my team instead of being stuck here." He told the older man. _

_Patrick was a little proud and annoyed, at the same time. He placed the box back on the side table and turned his attention to the young novelist. _

"_Shane managed to get a call through to me an hour ago." The former Marine spoke up. Rick turned his attention to the older man. _

"_I know how you got shot in the back, you dived in front of him and saved his life," the older blue eyed, black haired man proclaimed. "I will be forever in debt to you."_

_Rick shook his head. No, he was just doing what he was taught to do. Protecting his unit, making sure they all came home alive. "He's my family too -" Rick began telling him. _

"_Richard Darling, I just received the news -" Martha announced as she entered the room, stopping dead in her tracks when she noticed that her son wasn't alone. _

_Both blue eyed men turned their eyes on the actress. Her long red hair was flowing around her shoulders. Rick hadn't seen his mother in over four months and he missed her._

"_Mother, you finally get to meet Patrick. Shane's dad," he told her, beaming a smile. _

_Rick's eyes were locked on his mother. She was looking at his friend's father like she had just seen a ghost. She hadn't moved from her spot._

"_Mother?"he questioned._

_Martha snapped out of her shock and ignored the older man standing to her sons left. She breezed around to the right side of his bed and began fussing over him. _

"You saved his life," Kate repeated. "Wow," she responded, not knowing what else to say.

Rick just nodded in response. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke up again.

"Lieutenant 2nd Grade Alexander Rodgers was retired from the Marines and become Richard Edgar Castle, fulltime. Only my troops, mother and the government knew about Alexander Rodgers. It's a part of my past that isn't up for the world to know," he told her.

Kate was a little taken aback. The article she had read on Alexander Rodgers mentioned that he was one of fifty men that got injured while fighting over there.

"You told me," she managed, emotion dripping in her voice. Her eyes locked on him.

Rick took another step forward, looking at her with raw emotion. "That's because you mean a lot to me," he confessed, honestly. "I would do anything for you, Kate."

Kate walked forward and reached for his hands, lacing her fingers with his and looking into his eyes. She wasn't sure what to say. Instead she enclosed the distance between them and captured his lips with her own. She poured her heart and soul into that kiss. She looped her arms around his neck and felt his arms encircle her waist. He pressed his hands into her back, forcing her to press into him. Every time the two touched, it was like this unspoken passion was released and a fire burned strong.

Rick moaned as she did wicked things to him with her tongue. This woman was driving him insane and they were only kissing. He could only imagine the power she would hold over him when they finally made love for the first time.

Both pulled apart for much needed air. Kate looked into his eyes and saw forever. Everything inside her was screaming at her to tell him what she felt for him. But something inside of her was holding back, why couldn't she just tell him that she loved him? Why was it so hard?

"Anyway, when I was 23, I met Meredith and began writing my fourth novel. Mother introduced her, trying to play match-maker. There hadn't been anyone since Kyra. I thought I was in love. We were hot and heavy for a few months, careless. And that's how I was blessed with Alexis." He told her.

"She is one of the best things that ever happened to me," he confessed. "Besides you."

* * *

><p><strong>Open Lounge Area – 21:01pm<strong>

Rick and Kate walked towards the lounge, their fingers laced. The boys were sitting on the couch, playing Madden. They had changed the game because they saw how much it affected her. That was sweet of them.

"Shane," Rick spoke up.

The former Marine turned his attention from the television screen and towards his best friend and the brunette. Shane stood up and walked towards them.

Rick unlaced his fingers from his partner and pulled her into a side hug. She responded by doing the same. The two didn't need to speak. Their bodies did all the talking. One always knew when the other needed a simple touch or space.

"Shane, I would like you to officially meet my partner, Kate Beckett." He introduced her, proudly.

The black haired, blue eyed man stopped opposite of the two. He smiled at the younger woman.

"Hi, Kate. It's great to finally meet you, Rick constantly talks about you. I feel like I know you," he told her, honestly.

Kate felt heat rising to her cheeks. She talked to people about Rick, but it always surprised her when she found out that Rick talked about her to people. A version of her already appeared in his novels, she just hadn't realized how much of her appeared in his personal life.

"Rick told me a little about you too," she admitted. "It's good to meet you," she genuinely responded. "I am glad that Rick has someone that he can always talk to, even if it's about me." She admitted.

Silence filled the room for a long minute. No words needed to be said, it was like a mutual agreement passed between the three adults. A few more minutes passed before Kate spoke up.

"Well it was great meeting you Shane, but it's been a long _eventful _day and we still have a killer to catch," she told them, turning her attention towards Trayvon. "You ready Tray?" she asked the teenager.

The teenager saved his game and stood up, nodding.

Kate turned her attention towards her partner and was about to open her mouth to speak when Rick did.

"Shane, can you watch Alexis while I take them home?" he asked his friend.

Shane smiled at his friend. "You don't even need to ask," he told him.

"Rick, you don't need to -" she began before Rick interrupted her.

He placed a finger to her lips, smiling at her. "A gentleman always walks a lady to the door," he told her.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes locked on his.

* * *

><p><strong>Kate's Apartment - 21:24pm<strong>

As the three walked through the door, Trayvon turned to the two adults.

"I'm headin to bed, night Aunt Kate ... Rick." He told them before heading off in the direction of his room.

The two watched the teenager walk down the hall.

"Night Buddy," Rick called out.

Kate turned towards her partner and smiled at him, pulling him into her arms. "I guess you have to head home now," she spoke up.

Rick could tell that she needed him right now. Kate would never ask him to stay, she wanted to appear strong but everyone had the right to have their weak moments too.

"I can stay for a bit," he smiled at her, placing a quick kiss to her lips.

Kate looked at him amazed. "Really?" she asked a little surprised, even though she shouldn't be. He always seemed to know when she needed him most.

"Yeah ... How about we watch a movie?" she suggested as he led her towards the couch.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. **

**Reviews are Appreciated **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: *Reads over contract* Nope, I do not own Castle, ABC and Andrew are the geniuses behind the show. But that doesn't mean I won't put the through hell and back and a little bit of fluff. **

**Beta-d by Teelduo **

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews through facebook, FF and Twitter.**

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TEN<p>

**Sunday – 12****th**** Precinct – 09:01am -Bullpen**

Kate was sitting on the corner of her desk, staring at the murder board. Her hazel greens absorbing in every bit of information, every photo on the board. She had added the information from the CSU report onto the board. The brunette detective was dressed in long black hipster bootleg jeans and a deep red v neck sweater that hugged her curves. Her black leather jacket was hanging over her chair and her hair was partly pulled back, a few strands hanging loosely framing her face.

Since it was Sunday, her team didn't have to be in early. Trayvon went back to the loft with Rick this morning so he could hang out with Shane. Shane was staying until this case was solved, so Alexis was safe. She expected the boys to appear any minute now, along with her partner. A smile stole her lips when Rick crossed her mind.

_**Kate's Apartment - 08:01am – Lounge Area**_

_Kate felt warm, really warm. She could also feel her pillow breathing, which was odd since pillows shouldn't rise and fall. She slowly began opening her eyes, letting them adjust to the light in the room. It was morning and she knew she wasn't in her bed. _

_The brunette could hear a strong heartbeat. She opened her eyes and noticed that she was in her lounge room and not alone. Her head was resting on her partner's chest, as it rose and fell. Her arms were snaked around his mid section. He was holding her close, his arms encircled around her. _

_Kate lifted her head and looked up at the writer, as a smile stole her lips. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, an innocent expression on his features. _

_She watched him for a few more minutes before he spoke up and startled her. _

"_You know, I could get used to this," Rick mumbled, before slowly opening his eyes and a smile spreading across his lips. His blue orbs locking onto her hazel greens. _

_Kate bit down on her lip, grinning. "Well you make a great teddy bear," she whispered back, surprising herself at the comment. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. _

_Rick grinned, his eyes widening at the comment. "Did you just admit that you like waking up in my arms?" he asked, a little cocky._

_Kate could feel heat rising to her face. She turned her face away from him so he wouldn't notice her blushing, her gaze flicked to her wall clock and she noticed the time. She had slept in. _

_Kate remembered they were watching a movie and must have fallen asleep before it ended. She turned her attention back to her partner, concern now washing over her. _

"_Is Alexis gonna be wondering where you are?" she asked, softly. _

_She watched as a smile stole his lips. He lifted his head so his lips gently brushed against hers, before he answered. "It's Sunday, she won't be awake for at least another hour."_

_Kate enjoyed the brief good morning kiss, even though it ended too soon for her liking. She loved the fact that they could do that now. Just kiss when they felt like it, well except when they were at the 12__th__ or anywhere that the paparazzi might be lurking. _

"_We have enough time for pancakes," he assured her, giving her another peck on the lips before sitting up and detaching himself from her. Rick hopped up from the couch and headed in the direction of the kitchen as Trayvon walked in. _

_Kate had enjoyed the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, like her own personal security blanket. And she missed the warm embrace when he left. She looked dead ahead and watched as the two males greeted each other good morning with their own personal high-five handshake. _

"_So should I start calling you Uncle Rick?" the teenager teased the older man. Rick looked at the kid and faked a laugh._

_Kate's mouth dropped open. _

The smell of coffee brings her back. She turned her gaze on Rick. He was standing there in front of her, smiling and holding out her coffee.

"Morning beautiful," he greeted her, handing her the hot beverage.

She could hear the boys walking off the elevator, chatting animatedly about something. Kate didn't turn around. She bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing the urge to grin. She was at work and she had to remain professional. Kate retrieved the takeaway cup from him, their fingers brushing only for a moment, but long enough for his touch to send a shiver down her spine.

His eyes were locked on hers as she managed to respond. "Morning."

Kate was lost in his eyes, damn those blue eyes. If they had a child, she hoped they would have his blue eyes. Child? Where did that thought come from? They had only started their relationship last night, why was she already thinking about children with him?

Detective Ryan cleared his throat as the two stopped a few metres from her desk.

"Are we interrupting something?" he asked, grinning like a cat that got his cream. His partner was standing beside him with a matching grin.

Kate tore her gaze from Rick's and turned it on her team mates. She bought the cup to her lips letting the rich smell fill her nostrils.

"Any news on Samson yet?" Kate asked them, staying on track and ignoring their previous comment. She took a sip, letting the warm liquid greet her.

The male partners let it slide. Obviously Mom and Dad didn't want to share their news with the family yet.

"No one has reported his whereabouts. He hasn't even showed up at his house yet," Javier spoke up.

"His financials are showing no unusual activity. He hasn't used any of his cards since two days ago," Ryan added.

"We even spoke to his classmates, apparently he kept to himself. Didn't go out of his way to make friends," Javier informed them.

Kate let out a heavy sigh. This case was frustrating the hell out of her. Where was this guy hiding? She turned her eyes on her partner. He was reading the CSU report that he picked up off her desk, his eyes scanning the information on the sheet of paper.

"I skimmed it, nothing that leads us to where he would be." Kate tells him. "Molly's blood was found in the freezer in the truck," she told him.

"He stored the body with the ice-cream that he sold to children," Rick responded in disgust, his blue eyes darkening. Kate placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I've always found that song creepy," the female detective confessed.

Rick turned his blue orbs on her. Her hand was still on his shoulder, he knew she could sense his anger towards the killer. It was her way of letting him know that she was there for him.

Rick returned her gesture with a soft smile, letting her know that he was okay. He wished he could take her in his arms and prove to her that he was okay, but they were at the precinct and PDA wasn't allowed.

Kate removed her hand from her partner's shoulder and turned back to her team mates. The boys were watching them, curious expressions on their faces. She knew they knew something was going on between her and Rick. She was surprised that they hadn't mentioned anything about it yet.

Kate was highly annoyed because they were getting nowhere with this case. The killer was still out there and it scared her because he was targeting young girls that looked like Alexis.

"Go over Samson Preston's life history again, there has to be something we're missing here. Some little clue that we have over looked," she ordered them. "I'm gonna go see Lanie," she told the boys. "Alone," she told Rick, softly. She hoped he understood that it was nothing personal.

Rick nodded, giving her a slight smile. He turned his attention back to the murder board and focused his attention on it.

Kate watched as the boys headed to their desks. She headed in the direction of the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>Castle Loft - 09:09am - Open Lounge Area<strong>

Shane and Trayvon were playing Battlefield 3 on the Xbox. The teenager and former Marine were chatting, animatedly. Trayvon had spotted the tattoos on the older man's arms and asked him about them. Shane had informed him that he used to serve but was honourably discharged after being injured.

"What's it like to kill people?" Trayvon asked the older man, curiously.

The almost eighteen year old kept his eyes locked on the large plasma screen. He wasn't sure if the older man would answer him, his father never did when he asked him that question.

A long minute passed before Shane spoke up. "It's not easy," he began. "But the people we we're ordered to kill are bad people."

Silence engulfed the room for another long minute.

"Why did you join?" the teenager asked, now looking at the older dark haired man.

Shane paused the game before turning to face the teenager. He could tell that the teenager was curious about the Marines. Shane wasn't sure how much detail he should go into, but he didn't want to sugar-coat it either.

"It is sort of a family tradition," he began. "My grandfather served, along with my father. When I turned eighteen I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to serve, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. So my father sent me here to New York to attend college while I figured out what I wanted to do with one condition." Shane told the boy.

Alexis was standing on the middle platform of the stairs, watching the two male. She knew it was wrong to ears drop.

"I had to be in the ROTC, Reserve Officers' Training Corps. So I agreed, figured it would a great way to stay in shape. I didn't count on liking it though," he confessed, proudly. "So after four years in the ROTC, I joined the marines and was sent to serve."

Trayvon could hear the pride in the older man's voice.

"Something you need Alexis?" Shane asked, without turning his head towards the stairs.

The female teenager was taken aback. How did he know she was there?

Alexis fixed her eyes on the older man. She began walking down the stairs and towards the lounge. "How do you know my dad?" she began asking. "I know you keep telling me you met while at College but I feel like there is more to the story? More that you're both not telling me?"

Shane locked his eyes on the young woman that stopped just off from where he was sitting. She was a younger version of Martha. He knew it wasn't his place to tell her.

"For the full story, I'm sorry but you'll have to ask your father ... it's not my place." He told her, honestly.

Alexis folded her arms and glared at the older man. Why wouldn't he tell her? She was tired of being kept in the dark? She had changed into a light blue v-neck sweater and a long dark brown flared skirt with white ballet flats. Her hair was pulled back with a silver dragonfly hair clip.

Alexis headed for the door. "Well I'm gonna go see some friends -" she began informing her father's best friend before he stood up in his spot.

"Not without us," he informs her.

She stops just before the door, turning around to look at him. "What?" she questioned in disbelief. "You're kidding ... right?"

Shane folds his arms across his chest, stone expression filled his features. "Your father said I am not allowed to let you out of my sight until this killer is caught," he tells her, solemn.

Alexis couldn't believe this. He was being serious. She was almost eighteen for crying out loud. What was it about this case that made her father so protective? Alexis felt anger boiling inside her.

"Je ne peux pas le croire," (I cannot believe this). Alexis muttered in French, annoyed.

Shane kept his gaze fixed on the teenager, walking towards her. "Croyez-le, chérie," (Believe it, darlin). He replied back.

Alexis's eyes widened. He knew French? Was there anything this guy didn't know?

Trayvon watched as the redhead stared down the former Marine. He had seen the photo's of the young girls that were killed, they looked a lot like the teenager. So it was understandable why the writer was being so protective over his daughter. She could become a target. Obviously Alexis didn't know about the killing. Because if she did she wouldn't be acting like this, he pondered.

* * *

><p><strong>Autopsy – 09:11am<strong>

Kate entered through the doors of Autopsy and headed in the direction of her friend who was filling out a chart.

The young medical examiner heard the doors open and her friend's heel boots clicking on the tiled flooring, heading in her direction. She lifted her gaze from the sheet she was filling out and fixed her brown eyes on the female detective. A smile curved her lips as she took in the appearance of her best friend. Kate looked more carefree and trying her best not to smile.

"Did you and writer boy get it on?" Lanie questioned, hugging her clipboard to her chest.

Kate stopped a few metres from where Lanie was standing, her jaw dropped. "Lanie!" she hissed.

Lanie grinned at the female detective, waiting for an answer.

Kate could tell that her friend was waiting for her to respond. Thank god they were the only two down here at the moment.

"No! We didn't," Kate informed her friend, sternly.

Lanie knew there was something going on, especially after the talk they had last night. "But...?" she asked, still smiling.

Kate knew she couldn't keep anything from her friend, even though she was a private person. She needed to tell someone about Rick because she was happy and it was because of a certain writer. A grin stole her lips as she confessed.

"We kissed again and again and again ..." Kate began telling her friend, letting out a soft chuckle.

Lanie squealed in delight, jumping up and down as she hugged the clipboard.

"So does this mean that ..." Lanie began to question before being interrupted.

Kate looked at her friend serious, letting the smile briefly slip. "You cannot tell anyone that Rick and I are together, including Javi." She ordered her friend. "Promise me Lanie!"

Lanie was still grinning. She nodded her head rapidly even though she disliked keeping secrets from her man. Kate was her best friend, they were practically sisters.

"I promise, so spill." She demanded

Kate's expression remained serious for a few more seconds before a smile stole her lips one again.

"Well yesterday afternoon when I got back to my apartment," she began telling her friend in detail.

* * *

><p><strong>Bullpen – 09:13am<strong>

Rick's eyes were still fixed on the murder board while he was talking to his daughter who had called him a minute ago, not happy.

"Sorry pumpkin, you are not allowed to leave Shane's sight until this case is solved." He told her, trying to keep his voice calm. He didn't want to worry her.

"Why?" she demanded, sounding pissed. "What is it about this case that I need a security detail?"

Rick turned from the board; the girls' faces were already burned into his brain.

"Alexis, you just have to trust me on this one ... okay?" he told her.

A moment of silence passed between them and Rick wasn't sure if she had hung up on him.

"Dad, what about this case has you so worried?" she asked, softly.

Rick clamped his eyes shut. The girls from the freezers flashing through his mind, their crystal blue eyes staring back at him.

"Dad?" his daughter's voice flowed through the speaker, apprehensively.

Rick's eyes shot open, his daughter's worried tone bringing him back. "I can't tell you that one, pumpkin. You just have to trust me," he told her, assertively.

The line went dead.

She had hung up on him. Rick sighed as he closed his phone, sliding it back in his jeans pocket.

"You okay Man?" the Irish detective asked.

Rick turned his attention towards the two male detectives who were looking at him, both mirroring concerned expressions.

"I hate keeping things from her," he admitted. "We always promised to be honest with one another." He told them.

Kevin placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Its better then telling her that some psycho is killing off young girls that look like her," he theorized.

The writer sighed again. The blue eyed detective had a point. "Just wait until you're a dad," he responded, sincerely.

A long moment of silence passed between them before Kevin spoke up.

"So Castle ... what's going on with you and Beckett?" Kevin bit the bullet and asked. The two male detectives were standing beside one another, arms folded and looking at him, determined.

"We're not stupid. We know something is going on between you two," Javier informed him, staring him down.

Rick was a little taken aback by their sudden change in attitude. He wasn't going to betray his partner's trust. When Kate wanted the boys to know, they would know. He turned to face them and stared them down, mirroring their stance.

The two detectives stared at the writer for a good few minutes before Javier spoke up.

"You wanna play it like that! Be warned. We like you Castle but if you hurt Beckett, we will make sure they never find your body!" He threatened the writer.

Rick didn't flinch or blink. He didn't make a joke or deny it.

"It would physically cause me pain if I hurt Kate," he responded. "I'd kick my own ass," he told them, dead serious.

The boys looked at him a little stunned before turning and looking at one another, surprised.

* * *

><p><strong>Autopsy – 09:15am<strong>

Lanie was grinning from ear to ear as her friend stood opposite to her. She had placed the clipboard on the empty autopsy table.

Kate had left out the part when Rick confessed to her about his past, if he wanted them to know that part. He would tell them. She only told Lanie about how she went over to Rick's apartment and the conversation they had in his office that led to all the kissing, then the talk with Alexis before heading back to her apartment and Rick insisting to walk them to the door.

"So we must have drifted off on my couch, because when I woke up this morning. He was there and I felt safe," the brunette detective confessed to her friend, honestly. "It wasn't awkward when we woke up, it was ... perfect." She admitted, a smile spreading across her features.

Lanie softly smiled at her friend. "It's good seeing you like this," Lanie told her friend, sincerely.

Kate just smiled back. She didn't know what to say. It was true, for the first time in a long time. She truly felt happy. Rick made her happy.

A minute of silence passed before the medical examiner spoke up again.

"I won the bet," she grinned.

Kate looked at her friend confused for a moment. Bet? What was she talking about?

"What bet?" she asked, unsure. The brunette had an inkling to what her friend was talking about.

Lanie rolled her eyes at the detective, placing her hand on her hip. "Don't act like you didn't know?"

Kate looked at her friend sternly, folding her arms. "Fine, I knew and I am not pleased about it. I cannot believe that the entire precinct was betting on Rick and me," she told her, annoyed. "And our first kiss was last year, not yesterday." She informed her, matter-of-factly.

Lanie looked at her friend puzzled. "Last year?" she asked, in disbelief. "When?"

The female detective's eyes darkened and her tone changed to serious. "The night we caught Hal Lockwood," she told her friend.

Lanie looked at her friend wide eyed, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie," she whispered.

Kate didn't want to discuss Lockwood, too many bad memories attached to him.

She cleared her throat. "So who had that night?" she asked, changing the subject. Her voice thick with emotion, keeping her tears at bay.

Lanie turned from her friend and walked towards her office.

Kate took in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it.

Lanie returned a moment later with what looked like a large bind notebook in hand. She stopped opposite her friend and flipped open the notepad, searching through last year's months. When she found the date of that night, one of the scariest nights to the young M.E, it was the night that Javier and his partner were held captive by Lockwood and put through hell and back. She pushed that thought from her head as she slid her finger across the page and her eyes fell on the name of the person who had that night.

Kate watched as her friend's eyes widened in surprised and then grew sad.

"Lanie?" she asked, worried.

Lanie lifted her eyes, tears glistering in them. "Roy," she answered.

Silence fell over them. Neither said a word for a few minutes.

"Donate the money to the NYPD's Widow's and Orphan's fund in Roy's name," Kate told her friend. "I better get back to the boys. I'll talk to you later." She told her friend before heading towards the doors and walking out.

* * *

><p><strong>Bullpen – 09:33am<strong>

Kate walked out of the break room with two large coffee mugs in hand. She walked towards her desk, where Rick was sitting in her chair. His eyes were fixed on a file in front of him. She stopped in front of her desk, placing the cappuccino in front of him.

Rick was reading Samson Preston's file again, trying to find the missing puzzle piece, when a mug was placed in front of him. He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with his beautiful partner. She gave him a soft smile but he could see sadness in those beautiful eyes.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned.

Kate forced a smile. How did he know she was feeling a little down?

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, bringing her coffee to her lips and breathing in the aroma. She took a sip of the warm liquid, watching her partner do the same. No words were needed, their eyes held the conversation.

"So why are you sitting in my chair?" she questioned, sounding serious but a smile twitching her lips.

Rick placed his mug in front of him. He knew she was playing tough because of the boys.

"I told him it was a death wish," Detective Ryan spoke up from his desk.

Kate turned her attention towards her co-workers. They were watching them a little like they were watching their favourite TV show. She was still thinking of a way to get them back for betting on her and Rick.

"You find something?" she asked them, bringing the mug to her lips again.

Both detectives shook their heads.

"I think I have an idea," Rick spoke up, a serious tone echoing through.

Kate turned back to face Rick, her eyes fixed on her partner. She was drinking the sight of him in. His eyes lifted from the file and locked with hers, a smile stole his lips when he caught her watching him.

"What does Samson do every Sunday night at six pm?" he asked her, seriously.

Kate looked at him with curiosity, placing her mug down on her desk and sitting on the corner of it. She thought for a minute before it hit her.

"He calls nana Porter," Kate answered, smiling.

Rick nodded, looking at her. "The one person left in his life, now what would happen if he called her tonight and nana ... didn't answer the phone?" he suggested.

"Are you saying you want us to knock off an old lady?" Kevin asked in disbelief.

Kate and Rick both looked at the blue eyed detective perplexed. What would make him think that? They thought.

"No stupid," Javier answered before turning to look at his boss and the writer. "You didn't mean that did you?" he questioned, unsure.

Both shook their head. "No," they answered in unison.

"I have a friend whose father owns a surveillance company, globally. I just have to get him to tap the lines at nana's house, going through proper protocols of course. So when Samson calls his nana for their weekly phone call, McGarrett security can track the call and inform us of his location. He talks for an hour, plenty of time to locate him and arrest him." Rick informed them.

"What makes you think he will call his nana?" Javier questioned.

"She's the one constant in his life, his only family. He knows she would worry if he didn't call," Kate told them. "He will be smart about it, calling her from a payphone or burn phone. Since he hasn't made any charges on his card, I am guessing that he has a lot of cash on him."

"What if he isn't still in the city?" Javier questioned.

The partners turned their attention towards the male detective.

Rick spoke up. "Like I said, McGarrett security is a global company ... we'll get him!" he promised.

A moment of silence passed over the four before Detective Ryan spoke up.

"The phone call isn't for several hours yet, what do we do till then?" Kevin asked his boss.

"Castle and I will set up everything on this end," Kate smiled at them. "You guys can have the day off and we'll meet up at Castle's at five thirty and set up for the call," she told them, easily.

The two male detectives high fived one another, like two children celebrating after a big win.

Kate smiled, shaking her head before turning her eyes back on her partner. Rick had pulled out his phone and began dialling a number. She watched as he waited for it to connect, his face lighting up when the person answered.

* * *

><p><strong>Castle Loft - 10:01am – Open Lounge Area<strong>

Rick and Kate walked through the front door of the loft.

Kate had to brief the Captain on what was going on before they left. Patrick had been contacted and was setting up the phone tap. Two of his guys would go to the older ladies house and inform her that they were checking phone lines because customers had been calling about problems. While one of the guys talked to the older woman and distracted her, the other would bug the phone. They would inform the older lady that her phone was fine.

"What if she sees her grandson on the news? His photo was released yesterday to all the major news stations?" Rick asked his partner.

Kate turned her eyes on him. "Nana Porter doesn't watch the news, too much violence she told me. I casually slipped the news into the conversation yesterday," she told him.

"Dad ... Kate?" Alexis's voice questioned. "What are you guys doing back so early?"

Kate turned her eyes on the blue eyed teen, feeling out of place. The teenager was sitting on the far end of the couch with her laptop. Shane and Trayvon were sitting on the older end, having what looked like a serious conversation.

"Hey Alexis," Kate greeted the girl. "How are you holding up?" she asked her. Rick had told Kate about his daughter breaking up with her boyfriend.

"Dad told you?" she questioned. "Of course he told you, he tells you everything because you two actually talk." Alexis vented. "Whenever he has any news, you're the first person he thinks of to share it with because he loves you. That's what you're supposed to do when you love someone," Alexis blurted out before hopping up and running up the stairs.

The room fell quiet. All eyes turned on the writer and his muse.

Kate fingers were still laced with Rick's. It was no state secret that Rick was in love with her. She knew it because she had heard him say it. Saw it in his eyes every time he looked at her. The brunette turned her hazel greens on his stony blues, eyes locked on one another.

"I'll go talk to her," Kate told him, placing a quick kiss to his lips before unlacing their fingers and heading towards the stairs.

Rick just stood there as he watched his beautiful partner walk up the stairs to talk to his daughter. Alexis had blurted out that he loved her and Kate didn't run in the opposite direction. Which he was relieved of but that also made him think, why didn't she clam up or run? They had just become them, so why didn't this freak her out?

* * *

><p><strong>Alexis' Room<strong>

Kate softly knocked on the door. She waited until she heard the teen mumble. "Come in."

Kate turned the knob and walked into the room.

"Kate? I thought you were..." Alexis began saying before being interrupted.

"Your dad, nope just me," she told her. "I figured you might want to talk woman to woman."

Alexis did want to discuss this with another woman, her Grams was still in California and her mother wasn't really the type to take good advice from. Alexis was sitting on her bed, her legs curled up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

"I'm sorry about exploding down there," the teenage girl apologized.

Kate softly smiled at the girl, taking a seat on the end of the bed. "It's okay," she assured her. "You're allowed to have emotions," she told the girl. "It's what makes us human."

Silence passed between the two for a long minute.

"What if I made a mistake?" she asked as a few tears slipped.

Kate's hurt went out to the girl. She reached forward and brushed the tears from the girl's cheeks. "Do you feel like you made a mistake?" Kate asked her, reversing the question.

Alexis sighed. "I don't know?" she confessed.

Kate knew being a teenager was tough. You're not a child but not quite yet an adult, you're stuck in between. Kate remembered when she was a teenager and her mother would give her advice. A sad smile stole her lips when she remembered the advice her mother had once given her when she was eighteen.

"It's not who you want to spend Friday night with ... It's who you want to spend all weekend with ... is Ashley the one you want to spend all weekend with?" she asked the girl.

Alexis didn't even have to think about the question. "He used to be," she honestly answered without hesitation.

"We'll there is your answer," Kate told her.

* * *

><p><strong> 17:28pm – open lounge area<strong>

The doorbell rang throughout the loft. The writer headed towards the front entrance and opened the door. Standing opposite him was the two detectives, with serious expressions on their face.

"Evening," he greeted them, stepping aside and letting the two male detectives in.

Rick's lounge area had been converted into a mini operations area. A long fold out table had been placed in the middle of the room. On it was a laptop with a phone and other technical equipment involved to trace a call. Shane was finishing setting it up. He knew how to run all of this equipment ever since he was little.

Kate, Trayvon and Alexis were in the kitchen sitting on stools behind the breakfast bar, drinking coffee and chatting. Kate spotted her two co-workers. She excused herself from the two teenagers and walked over towards the boys who were gathered around the mini op's area.

"Wow, this isn't the same equipment we use to trace locations." Kevin spoke up.

"No kidding, this is the advanced equipment," Shane supplied.

Both male detectives looked at the stranger, curious.

Rick could see his friends were curious about Shane. They were detectives so they were suspicious to why a stranger was involved with this investigation. Rick stood opposite of the table from his friend, his partner standing beside him.

"Ryan ... Esposito, I would like you both to meet my best friend, Shane McGarrett." He introduced. "He will be running the trace from here and getting us a location on Samson," Rick explained to the two detectives.

Javier spotted the dog tag hanging around the dark haired man's neck. It was sitting in front of his shirt. He knew he could trust this guy, the Hispanic detective was curious to how the writer knew him though. He watched as the two were talking, looking to be having a serious conversation. As his eyes darted from the writer to the stranger, something dawned on the male detective.

Javier turned to his partner and whispered. "Is it just me or do ..." he began.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Kevin finished.

* * *

><p><strong>18:01pm<strong>

Five sets of eyes were glued to the phone that was connected to the computer. It was set on loud speaker. They listened as the phone began to ring. As soon as nana picked it up, they could start the trace and would hear the entire conversation but not be heard.

"Hello?" Nana Porter's voice flowed through the speakers.

Shane began the trace, all eyes glued to the laptop screen as they watched the trace begin.

"Hey Nana," a male voice replied, calmly. "How have you been?" he asked, casually.

Kate couldn't believe this psychopath was having a calm and normal conversation with his grandmother.

The room was quiet as they listened to the conversation, all eyes watching the screen as the location got closer and closer.

"Woodhaven," Kate whispered. It was narrowing down on Woodhaven. That was where the killer lives?

"He is at 8539, 87th St, Woodhaven," Shane told them, seriously.

The three detectives' and writer's eyes all widened, stunned. How was that possible? How was he calling from inside that house?

"Okay guys it's gonna take us twenty five minutes to get there, Espo call the locals and tell them to meet us there." She ordered them. "Let's go."

The three detectives and writer headed out of the loft.

* * *

><p><strong>Woodhaven – 18:31pm – Sam's House<strong>

Cops surrounded the suspect's house, all donning bullet proof vests. It was dark and spotlights were set up and shining on the house.

Javier led a team from the back door and Kate led one through the front. In a matter of minutes the house was covered in cops. When they had entered the house, Samson had still been talking to his grandmother according to Shane.

Rick was on talking to Shane through a wireless earpiece. "Is he still talking to her?" Rick whispered.

He waited for his friend to respond. "No, just said he had to go and the signal dropped. He is still in that house," Shane informed his friend.

Kate was standing in the middle of the front entrance, looking around at the empty house. Where the hell was he? If the signal was coming from here, then why couldn't they see him?

"Why sneak back in the house at the risk of getting caught?" Kate spoke up, her eyes searching for any sign of movement. Only cops and detectives passed them by, no sign of Samson.

"What if he never left the house," Rick suggested.

Kate turned to face her partner. He was a metre from her in his writer's vest, looking at her serious.

Kate flashed back to the Dunn case. He had been hiding in plain sight the entire time her team had been in that apartment, was this the same? If he was hiding, where would it be?

* * *

><p><strong>Samson's Room - 16:51pm<strong>

Kate and Rick had informed all of the officers present that their suspect may be hiding in a hidden wall or crawl space. So for the last twenty minutes they had been knocking on walls and floors throughout the entire house, looking for his hiding spot. The brunette detective and her writer were searching the suspect's room. Even after his parents died, he stayed in his childhood room.

Rick was tapping each section of the floor, hoping to hear a hollow part. Kate had tapped every section of the wall with no luck. They both headed towards his closet which had been searched earlier. Kate held her gun towards it, nodding to Rick. He opened the door and stood back. They peered inside of the dark closet, only clothes and shoes greeted them.

"Damn it," Kate muttered.

Rick stood in the doorway of the closet. He pushed the clothes aside and looked at the wall, something seemed off about it. It seemed closer than it should be.

"Kate," he whispered.

Kate looked at the writer who was looking at her seriously. He pointed to the scrape markings on the right side of the wall, like something has constantly opened and closed. They were faint and hard to miss if you weren't looking for them. Rick knocked on the wall, it was hollow.

Kate raised her gun towards the wall, they were unsure if Samson was armed. He didn't own a weapon but that didn't mean he didn't have one.

"Get behind me," she told him, quietly.

Rick didn't want her to be his shield. He shook his head and reached behind him, revealing a glock. He rarely brought his weapon out to play but knew he might need it tonight. Rick had a carry permit, since he worked with the NYPD, not even Kate knew about that.

Kate just nodded. They didn't have time to argue about him with a gun right now.

They heard from behind the wall a clicking sound, it sounded like someone just cocked a gun.

Kate and Rick stepped out of the doorway, both standing to either side leaning against the wall.

"Samson?" Kate called out. "You're surrounded," she told him. "There is no way out of this, come out with hands in the air." She ordered.

A gunshot echoed in the room.

Rick and Kate stood still, not moving from there spot. Kate turned and looked at Rick who was standing on the other side of the closet.

"You okay?" she whispered. He nodded.

A few seconds later a few cops and the two male detectives entered the bedroom, all looking at the partners worried.

"You guys okay," Javier asked, holding up his shotgun.

They both nodded and Kate called out. "Samson?"

No answer.

Rick peered his head around the corner into the closet. There were no bullet holes in the wall. If he wasn't shooting at them, what was he shooting at? The writer's eyes dropped to the carpet and saw blood seeping under the hidden wall. Rick holstered his gun and stepped into the closet kicking down the wall.

His eyes darkened as he saw the dead young man, sprawled on the floor. He had shot himself in the head. He took the easy way out, instead of facing his fate in jail for killing four young girls.

Kate entered the closet and stood beside her partner, lacing her fingers with the writer. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and led him out of the closet and towards the bed.

"He killed himself," Rick whispered in disbelief.

Javier called the body in.

The female detective and writer sat down on the end of the suspect's bed, fingers still fused together. Neither saying a word, what was there to say?

It was all over in a second. He had killed himself because he believed there was no way out.

"Lanie and CSU are on their way," the Hispanic detective informed them. After that, everything went by in a blur.

* * *

><p><strong>Rick's Loft - 20:31pm – Rick's office<strong>

Kate was in Rick's office, talking to nana Porter. She didn't want the old lady to hear about her only grandchild over the news or from a stranger in passing. That was why he loved her so much, her compassion and heart for other people. She had lost her mother and yet she still gave her all to other people.

Rick just watched her for several minutes before she caught his eye. He heard her saying her goodbyes to the older woman and promising to keep in contact before hanging up.

The brunette felt bad for the older woman, the only person she had had left in this world killed himself.

Kate stood up from Rick's work station and walked towards him. She stopped opposite of him, feeling defeated. Within seconds he closed the distance between them, encircling his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She responded by encircling her arms around him and resting her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

A few minutes passed before she spoke up. "I should get Tray home."

Rick didn't want her to leave yet. He always missed her when she was gone. "Stay the night," he whispered softly against her ear.

Kate didn't want to leave yet but she couldn't stay either. She had Trayvon to think about.

"I can't," she whispered, pulling back and looking into his eyes.

The writer's eyes darkened. "Tray can sleep on the couch. And my bed is big enough for both of us," he told her.

Kate bit down on her bottom lip, unsure. "Rick ... I'm not ready yet to take that next step," she confessed. She was worried how he would react to the bullet wound. She was scared that he wanted want her after seeing it.

"What?" he looked at her astounded. He hadn't been thinking about sex at all. "I'm not talking about sex," he told her, honestly.

Kate looked at him surprised. "Oh," she responded. Didn't he want her?

Rick saw the hurt in her eyes. He raised a hand to her face and brushed his fingers along her cheeks, softly. "Of course I want to make love to you, but when you're ready. I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do," he honestly told her.

Kate was stunned for a moment. So much emotion was flowing through her. This man in her arms was the best thing that ever happened to her and he deserved to know that.

"I love you," she confessed before capturing his lips in an enticing kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I didn't plan the fic to end here or like this but it did. I also know this chapter seems rushed, but I wanted to get it out and finished before cuffed aired. And I could have had this fic go on for a few more chapters yet, but I didn't want to drag it on. This will most likely be my last post till after christmas. Work is becoming hectic and my novels have taken the sidelines. **

**Reviews are appreciated. I am so sorry if this chapter disappoints. Mistakes are mine. **


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